The US Department of Defense has awarded a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) to design a 30mm cannon for the Stryker infantry carrier vehicles (ICV).
Valued at $75m, the undefinitised contract will see the company work on eight prototypes that will be mounted on an unmanned turret on the Stryker military vehicles.
Work under the contract will be carried out at the company’s facility in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and the deliveries are expected to be completed by January 2021.
Stryker is an eight-wheel drive armoured vehicle designed to provide infantrymen with enhanced protection and survivability from artillery fragments, roadside mines and improvised explosive devices.
The vehicle entered operational service in early 2001. It is available in eight variants, including nuclear, biological, chemical reconnaissance, medical evacuation, and engineer squad versions, as well as a version carrying anti-tank guided missile vehicles.
In March, the US Army deployed the GD-built warfighter information network – tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2 (Inc 2) system on to two Stryker brigades.
The brigades include the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division (2/2 SBCT) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, and the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armoured Division at Fort Bliss, Texas.
In addition to Stryker brigades, the WIN-T Inc 2 secure communications network foundation is fielded to 12 infantry brigade combat teams (BCT) and four division headquarters.