Officials of Elbit, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd. in Haifa, Israel, announced their company has received a $7.3 million two-year sole-source contract from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency at Fort Belvoir, Va., to supply the Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle gunner's hand station.
The gunner's hand station enables Bradley vehicle gunners to acquire their targets and fire accurately. Working in collaboration with the Commander's Hand Station, the gunner's hand station drives the rate of movement of the Bradley turret and to initiate control signals to the turret fire control systems in the Bradley M2A3/M3A3 vehicles.
The Bradley's main armament is the Alliant Techsystems M242 25-millimeter chain-driven auto cannon, which fires a bullet about the size of a carrot. The M242 fires 25-millimeter ammunition at rates of 200 to 500 rounds per minute.
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The ammunition for the M242 comes in armor-piercing, high-explosive, sabot, tracer, and inert practice versions. These weapons can destroy lightly armored vehicles, helicopters, and other slow-flying aircraft), as well as suppress enemy positions such as exposed troops dug-in positions, and occupied built-up areas. It has a range of nearly two miles.
The Bradley's secondary armament consists of TOW anti-tank missiles and a 7.62-millimeter machine gun. In addition to providing battlefield fire power, the Bradley also serves as an armored personnel carrier to transport infantry warfighters to and from the fight.
In addition to the gunner's hand station, Elbit Systems of America also provides the commander's hand station and the turret processing unit for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
For more information contact Elbit systems of America online at www.elbitsystems-us.com.
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