BAE SYSTEMS Delivers First U.S.-Built XM777 Lightweight Howitzer; Supplier Base Successfully Integrated.Business Editors HATTIESBURG, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 18, 2002 BAE SYSTEMS BAE Systems British manufacturer of aircraft, missiles, avionics, naval vessels, and other aerospace and defense products. BAE Systems was formed (1999) from the merger of British Aerospace (BAe) with Marconi Electronic Systems. RO Defence delivered the first U.S.-built XM777 Lightweight Howitzer howitzer: see artillery. to representatives from the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps during ceremonies held today at its new facility in Hattiesburg, Miss. Today's delivery also marks the successful integration of the company's U.S. supplier base, which BAE SYSTEMS has been developing for the past two years. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Frank Hoerster, BAE SYSTEMS director of fire support systems, the XM777 will provide the most advanced artillery artillery, originally meant any large weaponry (including such ancient engines of war as catapults and battering rams) or war material, but later applied only to heavy firearms as opposed to small arms. support to our fighting forces Fighting Force is a 1997 3D beat 'em up developed by Core Design and published by Eidos in the same lines of classics such as Streets of Rage and Double Dragon. as well as improved survivability sur·viv·a·ble adj. 1. Capable of surviving: survivable organisms in a hostile environment. 2. That can be survived: a survivable, but very serious, illness. to gun crews. "We're proud to deliver the first lightweight howitzer to the Army and Marine Corps, and proud of the partnership between BAE SYSTEMS, the program office and our suppliers," Hoerster added. Col. John Garner, Joint Program Manager for Lightweight 155mm Howitzer said "Delivery of this gun is another significant step forward toward fielding the howitzer to the soldiers and marines who need it. We greatly appreciate the support of the community of Hattiesburg and the State of Mississippi which has made this day possible." The XM777 was designed and developed by BAE SYSTEMS, and is a joint program between the Army and Marine Corps to replace the M198 towed howitzer. The XM777 provides increased strategic and tactical improvements over the M198 and will be used by both Army and Marine Corps light units. The howitzer delivered today -- a pilot production unit -- will undergo accuracy and strength of design testing prior to a low rate initial production (LRIP LRIP Low Rate Initial Production LRIP Limited Rate Initial Production LRIP Logistics Readiness Improvement Program ) decision scheduled for October 2002. BAE SYSTEMS will deliver a second pilot production howitzer later this year and is scheduled to begin LRIP in November 2002. The Hattiesburg operation is the final assembly and integration facility prior to delivery to the Department of Defense. The pilot production howitzer incorporates the first use of titanium titanium (tītā`nēəm, tĭ–) [from Titan], metallic chemical element; symbol Ti; at. no. 22; at. wt. 47.88; m.p. 1,675°C;; b.p. 3,260°C;; sp. gr. 4.54 at 20°C;; valence +2, +3, or +4. castings, which reduces the weight of the XM777 by 7,000 pounds over the M198. More than 70 percent of the howitzer's parts are manufactured in the U.S. Last month, gun crews from the Army and Marine Corps, as well as independent evaluators, completed the operational assessment (OA) phase of this advanced artillery program. The testing consisted of ten weeks of training and operations in which more than 5,000 rounds were fired by test howitzers. About BAE SYSTEMS: BAE SYSTEMS is a systems company, innovating for a safer world. BAE SYSTEMS employs nearly 100,000 people including Joint Ventures, and has annual sales of around $18 billion. The company offers a global capability in air, sea, land and space with a world-class prime contracting ability supported by a range of key skills. BAE SYSTEMS designs, manufactures and supports military aircraft, surface ships, submarines, space systems, radar, avionics avionics (ā'vēŏn`ĭks), electronic instruments used in air or space flight; also the design and production of such instruments. Early planes had few instruments, but as aviation and aircraft became more complex, so did instrumentation. , communications, electronics, guided weapon systems and a range of other defense products. BAE SYSTEMS is dedicated to making the intelligent connections needed to deliver innovative solutions. |
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