BAE Systems has received an order from the Defense Logistics Agency for $35 Million to supply Improved Outer Tactical Vests. The IOTV is the standard armor vest for the US Army and comes in 11 sizes including long versions. It incorporates soft armor panels and is designed to accommodate hard armor plates in the front rear and to the sides in the cummerbund.
DLA Troop Support ordered the vests as part of a four-year contract issued in March, which could reach a cumulative value of $267 million. BAE Systems has thus far received a total of $83 million under the contract. They report that the production will occur at the company’s Jessup, Pennsylvania facility, and this order is scheduled to be complete by October 2013.
“This tactical vest is a necessary and life-saving piece of equipment for the Soldier,” said Eric Gavelda, director of Warfighter Protection at BAE Systems’ Protection Systems business. “The vest helps shield vital organs and protect against a variety of battlefield threats. Our ultimate goal is to help our warfighters return home safely to their families.”
Since 2007, BAE Systems has produced more than 800,000 outer tactical body armor vests for US troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world.
