SOUTH BEND – AM General is one of six companies vying to build a new light tactical vehicle for the Defense Department.
Each will receive $65 million to build 22 prototypes of the BRV-O, Blast Resistant. Vehicle-Off Road. The prototypes will be presented to the Defense Department on Aug. 24 for testing by the Army and Marines.
The company that receives the contract to build 18,000 of the vehicles starting in 2015 stands to receive a contract worth $5 billion. The BRV-O will replace one-third of the Humvees now in service.
The BRV-O has a V-shaped underbody, weights 15,700 pounds and can haul 21,000 pounds of people and equipment. It has armor on its underside and has energy absorbing seats to protect the crew.
