One of the said purposes of the order is to replace vehicles from the Army’s Vietnam War-era M113 models.
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A man walks past a screen in the BAE Systems chalet at the Farnborough Airshow in Farnborough, England, on July 16, 2018. (AP)
The US Army ordered over three-quarters of a billion dollars worth of armored combat vehicles from BAE Systems, the company announced in a press release.
It said on Thursday, “BAE Systems received a $754 million contract award to continue production of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) family of vehicles for the US Army,” adding, “This contract begins the second phase of full-rate production of AMPVs between March 2026 and February 2027.”
The Defense Department claimed that the purpose of the order is to replace vehicles from the Army’s Vietnam War-era M113 models, modernize the force, and provide more survivability, mobility, and interoperability upgrades to the Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT).
BAE Systems AMPV Program Director Bill Sheehy said, “It’s crucial that we continue to replace the M113s, and that we do it at a pace that ensures soldiers are unmatched on the modern battlefield. We are fully committed to continue our swift work with the Army to produce high-quality AMPVs at an increased and sustained rate for soldiers.”
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According to BAE, the AMPV is currently produced in five variants including the General Purpose, Mortar Carrier, Medical Evacuation, Medical Treatment, and Mission Command models.
The purpose and intent of this purchase order may be deeper than what it seems on the surface.
Back in November, Axios released a report stating that “Israel” is the largest recipient of US foreign military financing, especially after receiving 16 different types of weapons in 2023 alone.
The most devastating impact would be if the US decided to suspend deliveries of weapons to “Israel”, which has totals of billions per year and is currently the lifeline for the occupation’s war on Gaza.
Washington has not enforced any arms restrictions on “Israel” since 2000 when it declined to sell parts for combat helicopters used in targeted killings during the Second Intifada. But the decision was later revoked and $1 billion in military assistance was added after 9/11.
With the martyrs’ toll in Gaza now surpassing 32,000 and the UN warning of an imminent famine due to the entity’s starvation policy, more US officials – coupled with a significant number of American citizens – are demanding that weapons to “Israel” be scrutinized or suspended entirely.
