BAE Systems Submits Bid for U.S. Armored-Vehicle Contract

(Bloomberg) -- U.K. defense manufacturer BAE Systems Plc is bidding to supply new armored transport vehicles to the U.S. government under a potentially lucrative contract.

BAE has submitted a proposal for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program and is working with Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems Ltd., it said in an emailed statement. The program is to replace the M2 Bradley vehicle, which BAE built.

The Telegraph reported the bid earlier and said the contract could be worth as much as $45 billion.

U.S. contractor General Dynamics Corp. and Germany’s Rheinmetall AG have also submitted proposals. U.S. group L3Harris Technologies Inc. confirmed earlier this week it is working with Rheinmetall’s U.S. arm on its proposal.

The U.S. Army declared a “tactical pause” in the program in January 2020 after only one bid, from General Dynamics, was deemed to have qualified. A proposal by Rheinmetall and Raytheon Co. was disqualified and BAE dropped out before submitting a bid.

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