Elbit Systems' Brazilian subsidiary to provide Brazilian Army with unmanned turrets

HAIFA, Israel, 14 Sept. 2012. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE:ESLT), a global defense electronics company, announced that its Brazilian subsidiary, AEL Sistemas S.A., was awarded an initial production order for UT30 BR 30mm unmanned turrets valued at $15 million as part of the Guarani Project. The supply of these systems, which will be installed onboard Iveco 6x6 APCs, will be completed within two years.

The VBTP-MR Guarani is an armored personnel carrier (APC) that was jointly developed by IVECO and the Brazillian Army in an effort to replace all EE-11 Urutu vehicles by 2015. The VBTP-MR Guarani features a modular design for the incorporation of different weapons, turrets, communications systems and sensors onto the same carriage.

The UT30 is a dual-axis stabilized configurable unmanned turret, designed to add firepower to APCs without comprising troop safety. Encompassing a broad range of weapon systems, countermeasures and advanced electro-optics, the UT30 is in use by numerous armed forces around the world. All ammunition and electro-optics involved in the operation of the UT30 are housed within the armor-protected turret.

This announcement is further to Elbit System's announcement on January 6, 2011 regarding the award of a framework contract valued at approximately $260 million for the supply of UT30 BR 30mm unmanned turrets to the Brazilian Army's Land Forces.

The Guarani project itself will close out in 2030.