Last
November, BAE Systems received a $42 million contract
for the bar armor kits. This latest award is for 390 kits
and field service support outside the U.S.
Developed
to provide RPG protection for Hummers and MRAP mine-resistant
vehicles, L-ROD bar armor is a lightweight, modular bar-armor
system made of an aluminum alloy. L-ROD provides protection
against rocket-propelled grenades, or RPGs, with minimum
impact to operational capabilities.
L-ROD
has become standard equipment on the Army's MRAP Class
III Buffalo explosive ordnance disposal vehicles.
"We've
delivered more than 2,500 total kits to date, and now,
more are on the way," said Neil Piscitelli, L-ROD
director for BAE Systems in Austin, Texas. "The L-Rod
kits have demonstrated value by helping to protect troops
on the battlefield and save lives."
Weighing
less than half of comparable steel designs, the low-cost
L-ROD system bolts onto the vehicle without welding or
cutting and can be repaired easily in the field due to
its modular design. BAE Systems manufactures the L-ROD
bar armor kits on an automated production line in Austin
that opened last year.
L-ROD
can also be found on Marine Corps Buffalo vehicles, MRAP
Category I and II Cougar MRAPs, as well as the MRAP Category
I RG-31. BAE Systems is also working on L-ROD variants
for other MRAP-type vehicles as requested, and has provided
the kits to NATO allies for use on their vehicles in theater.
