Aiken plant to work on combat vehicles headed to S.C. National Guard

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BAE Systems has been awarded a contract to upgrade 353 Bradley Fighting Vehicles for a number of state Army National Guard units, including South Carolina. Work on the contract began earlier this month and is scheduled to be completed by August 2014.

Staff Report
Published Aug. 15, 2012

The Aiken plant of BAE Systems will be doing some work on a $306 million contract to upgrade 353 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, some of which are headed to the S.C. Army National Guard.

The contract is in addition to $340 million in funding the company has received to purchase upgrade materials for the Bradley program, bringing the full contract to $646 million.

The Aiken plant of BAE Systems will be doing some work on a $306 million contract to upgrade 353 Bradley Fighting Vehicles. (Photo/Provided)

The upgrade involves installing the latest digitized electronics to provide soldiers with a better idea of where they and the enemy are on the battlefield, improved network connectivity and new communication hardware, the defense contractor said.

The gear is designed “to enhance battlefield performance to meet a variety of mission requirements in close-combat, urban scenarios and open-combat situations,” the contractor added.

The Aiken facility will provide new components, including hatches, armor and various other components, said BAE Systems spokeswoman Shannon Booker.

Forgings or castings, sheet material and armor will be purchased from suppliers and processed at the Aiken facility, she added.

Work on the contract began earlier this month and is scheduled to be completed by August 2014.

The Aiken plant employs about 100 workers. No additional hires are expected to be made to complete the contract work, Booker said.

BAE System’s facilities in York and Fayette, Pa., also are involved in the Bradley work.

Initial teardown of vehicles and other work for some components will be performed at the Red River Army Depot in Texarkana, Texas.

Upgraded Bradleys also will be provided to Kansas, Minnesota, Ohio and Pennsylvania guard units.

The Bradley, which went into service in 1981, is a tracked armored vehicle armed with a 25 mm cannon capable of firing up to 200 rounds per minute. It also has a 7.62 mm coaxially mounted machine gun and a TOW anti-tank missile launcher with twin tubes.

The vehicle, which costs an average of $3.2 million, is designed to move an infantry squad around the battlefield and carry out cavalry scout missions. It has a crew of three and can carry up to six additional soldiers.