Announced October 19, 2017, BAE Systems, in support of the U.S. Navy's Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Atlantic, has successfully upgraded the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) capabilities on the 5,000th mine-resistant tactical vehicle for U.S. and allied forces. The mine-resistant tactical vehicle C4I capability upgrade milestone comes as the U.S. Army, a SPAWAR customer, seeks to improve the mission capabilities of its tactical vehicle fleet and enhance situational awareness for soldiers.
The work is part of the Tactical Vehicle Engineering and Prototyping Support Services program through SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic, based in Charleston, South Carolina, with the integration work taking place at BAE Systems' facility in nearby Summerville. The C4I upgrades enhance vehicle communications systems, intercom systems, mobile network systems, and soldier protective systems on a variety of mine-resistant vehicles, including M-ATV vehicles, MaxxPro DASH and Ambulances, and RG-31 platforms.
BAE Systems has approximately 600 workers across the state supporting information technology services contracts and the welding and machining of combat vehicles, such as the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, and Bradley family of vehicles. The company also recently announced plans to expand its manufacturing operations in Aiken, South Carolina to add more than 120 new jobs.
In addition to this critical mine-resistant tactical vehicle C4I capability upgrade, BAE Systems over the years manufactured numerous mine-resistant vehicles, including RG-31s and RG-33s. Starting in the mid-2000s, the company produced more than 6,000 of these vehicles to support urgent military needs in Iraq and Afghanistan.