Engineered Support Receives $14 Million Contract For Precision Targeting Systems
4/23/2003 8:31:00 AM
ST. LOUIS, Apr 23, 2003 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Engineered Support Systems, Inc. (EASI) received a firm, fixed price production contract valued at $14.0 million from the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, Michigan to provide several variants of its M707 Knight precision targeting system (Knight). Under the contract, the Company's Systems & Electronics Inc. subsidiary will produce 37 HMMWV-mounted Knight systems, 19 product-improved Knight systems involving the development of an improved sensor mount assembly, 12 Knight mission equipment packages configured for the Army's new Stryker Fire Support Vehicle, as well as system technical and logistics support during the contract period, according to Gerald E. Daniels, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Designed to be vehicle-independent, Knight is a precision targeting system consisting of a laser designator/rangefinder, thermal imager, digital command and control, blended inertial/GPS navigation and targeting, and self-defense weapon. Its mission is to provide precision target location and laser target designation for both artillery and air-delivered general purpose and precision-guided munitions. Knight is currently the only vehicle-mounted targeting system accurate enough for the effective employment of both Global Positioning System (GPS) and laser-guided munitions.
"Today's combat operations continue to reinforce the critical importance of ground-based precision targeting capability to the successful execution of both close air and fire support on the battlefield," Daniels commented. "Knight provides the crucial 'eyes on the ground' needed to rapidly acquire, precisely locate, positively identify and effectively engage enemy targets while causing minimal collateral damage. We expect the Knight program to be a key revenue and earnings contributor to Engineered Support Systems for the foreseeable future."
The HMMWV-configured M707 Knight systems and Bradley Fighting Vehicle- mounted (BFIST) systems are presently deployed with the fire support elements of several U.S. Army units engaged in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. System integration work on the Stryker Fire Support Vehicle entered full rate production last year. Deliveries under this new contract will occur from December 2003 through September 2004.
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