The US Army has awarded contracts to Navistar Defence LLC to convert commercial vehicles for military applications in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The contracts totalling $60.4m were awarded to Navistar for the conversion of 289 passenger buses and 196 refrigerator trucks to military standard.
Vice-president of Navistar Defence, Bob Walsh, said that the core of Navistar’s strength is the ability to leverage the engineering, manufacturing and sustainment expertise to provide battle-ready support vehicles.
The buses produced for the first contract, worth $31.6m, will be based on the IC Bus CE 300 school bus platform and will be powered by MaxxForce DT engines. Production will be based on the International WorkStar platform and will run on the MaxxForce family of engines. Deliveries will begin in January 2009 and will be completed by late August 2009.
The second $28.8m contract from TACOM for refrigerator trucks will be based on the International WorkStar platform and will run on the MaxxForce family of engines. Deliveries will begin in January 2009 and will be completed by late August 2009.
By Daniel Garrun.
