- GENERAL DYNAMICS RECEIVES LRIP AUTHORIZATION
FOR WOLVERINE HEAVY ASSAULT BRIDGE -

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. -- The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Officer, Ground Combat and Support Systems, Major General John F. Michitsch, has approved the Wolverine Heavy Assault Bridge to enter Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP).

The Wolverine consists of a computer controlled deployable aluminum bridge on an Abrams chassis capable of supporting all U.S. Army armored vehicles and equipment on the battlefield. The 75 foot bridge only takes four minutes to deploy, and it can be picked up in less than ten minutes for deployment wherever it is needed.

The LRIP approval followed the Wolverine’s successful completion of the recent preproduction qualification testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds. The reliability, availability, and maintainability testing focused on the performance of the bridge and launch mechanism and their integration onto the Abrams chassis. The testing included over 1,200 bridge launches and retrievals and 5,000 vehicle crossings of the deployed bridge. An executive summary of the test concluded that the bridge required no major repairs during the entire test, and that the system represents a significant achievement that will account for considerable operations and support cost savings.

The Army awarded the Wolverine engineering and manufacturing development contract to Land Systems in 1994. Land Systems designed and built two prototype vehicles in its Sterling Heights, Michigan location for the government testing and evaluation.

General Dynamics Land Systems is a world leader in the development, production, and support of armored vehicles and electronic systems. Its 3,400 employees operate plants and facilities in seven states and at three international locations. More information about General Dynamics Land Systems can be found on the internet at http://www.gdls.com.

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LS-97-9
3/24/97