STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. -- The U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, a $34 million delivery order for 30 M1A1 Abrams Integrated Management (AIM) main battle tanks. The contract includes an option for 30 additional AIM vehicles, bringing the total potential award value to $69.5 million.

AIM is a joint effort to refurbish M1A1 main battle tanks involving the U.S. Army Project Manager for Heavy Brigade Combat Team, the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command, the Anniston Army Depot (Anniston, Ala.), and General Dynamics Land Systems. Under the AIM program, M1A1 Abrams tanks are completely disassembled and overhauled to a like-new, zero-mile condition. Refurbished tanks incur lower operational and support costs and report higher operational readiness rates.

M1A1s are configured with armor upgrades and additional mission-critical technologies to bolster crew situational awareness (SA). The SA package include second-generation Forward-Looking Infrared, Far Target Locate, Blue Force Tracking (BFT)/Force Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2), a tank-infantry phone, a .50 caliber thermal sight, a power distribution box, a rear slave receptacle, an eye-safe laser rangefinder, and driver’s vision enhancement.

This situational awareness package increases the M1A1 Abrams tank’s fighting capability by providing soldiers an electronic graphic of the battlefield with icons for friendly and enemy forces, and increases the accuracy of the tank commander’s .50 caliber machine gun.

These M1A1 tanks are slated for delivery to U.S. Army units beginning in October 2010. Work will be performed in Anniston, Ala.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Lima, Ohio; and Scranton, Pa., by existing General Dynamics employees.

Sergyi Way
08.09.2008

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