$100 mn Remote weapon contract for US Army

WASHINGTON: KONGSBERG has booked an order with the United States Army valued at $100 million for additional PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Stations within the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS II) framework agreement. This agreement, originally signed in August 2007, was increased in December 2009 from 6,500 to 10,349 systems.

KONGSBERG has long striven to supply products that support the full mission of the warfighter,” said Knut Saeter, Executive Vice President of Kongsberg Protech Systems in Alexandria, VA. “This latest contract award signifies the U.S. Army’s dedication to providing Soldiers with a system that will increase their effectiveness and protection.”

The U.S. Army’s CROWS II, a KONGSBERG design based on the PROTECTOR family of Remote Weapon Stations (RWS), is intended to enhance troop safety by enabling the operator to remotely control the system from inside the protection of an armored vehicle. Designed to mount on an array of vehicle platforms and support numerous weapon systems, the PROTECTOR RWS has over 20 million hours of operation, a proven and unprecedented Operational Readiness Rate (ORR) of over 99 per cent, and is currently supplied to 17 nations around the world. With headquarters in Norway and production facilities in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA, Kongsberg Protech Systems maintains its position as the world’s leading provider of remote weapon stations, adds a press release

As an international, knowledge-based company, KONGSBERG supplies high-technology systems and solutions to customers engaged in the oil and gas industry, the merchant marine, and the defense and aerospace industries. In 2009, KONGSBERG had a turnover of NOK 13.8 billion (approx. US $2.3 billion) with 5,423 employees in more than 25 countries as of 31 December, 2009. KONGSBERG is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, Norway (OSE).

The contract with the U.S. Army was announced to the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE).