Above: BAE Systems upgraded the C4I capabilities on the 5,000th mine-resistant tactical vehicle for US and allied forces at the company’s Summerville, South Carolina facility.

The important milestone comes as the US 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 programme 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.
 
“Our experts ensure that rigorous quality standards are met when installing this equipment, because these technologies and communications systems must perform flawlessly when our soldiers are in harm’s way,” said Kris Busch, vice president of BAE Systems’ C4ISR and Electronic Systems business. “These vehicles are being redeployed throughout the world to support critical current and ongoing missions.”
 
The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce recently named BAE Systems as one of the 2017 Best Places to Work in South Carolina. The company 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 these critical C4I upgrades, 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.