BAE Partners With RIA to Produce Composite Armor

(Cincinnati, Ohio, September 10, 2009) -- Making it stronger, lighter and better has always been the clear mission behind the development of composite armor protection. What hasn't been as clear-cut is where to find a reliable supply of leading edge composite armor. That's changing, thanks in part to a partnership between BAE Systems and the Rock Island Arsenal Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center (RIA), located in Rock Island, Illinois.

BAE Systems and RIA have jointly agreed to establish a manufacturing center designed to produce composite armor for a variety of customers in the public and private sector, including the US Government. While the agreement will ensure the continued availability of the most advanced composite armor solutions for customers, the partnership's most important objective is to provide more responsive and timely support to our men and women in uniform.

The agreement was initiated during the Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Conference earlier this year, when the two parties signed a memorandum of intent for partnership.

"It was a historic day for Rock Island Arsenal," said COL Craig S. Cotter, commander of RIA. "Partnering with BAE Systems could lead to some very big things for our manufacturing mission. It is a critical step forward in our efforts to expand our current capabilities."

The partnership calls for BAE Systems to provide the technology and processes to allow RIA to produce composite armor utilized in military ground vehicles, commercial armored vehicles, soldier protection equipment and other safety and survivability applications. This will complement BAE Systems' Tensylon(r) manufacturing. Tensylon(r) is high performance fiber utilized in composite armor, along with other commercially available materials. RIA will be the manufacturer, providing floor space, skilled labor and infrastructure, while BAE Systems will provide the technical and management oversight.

"We are committed to investing in the research and development of lightweight material solutions, which will help increase the survivability of products used by our men and women in uniform," said Tony Russell, president of the company's Security & Survivability business. "This partnership agreement will allow us to rapidly respond to the ever-increasing demand for these lightweight solutions."

Source : BAE Systems PLC (LSE: BAES.L) - click here for more information