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10,000th PROTECTOR CROWS Delivered by Kongsberg Protech Systems

Dépèche transmise le 28 mars 2012 par Business Wire

10,000th PROTECTOR CROWS Delivered by Kongsberg Protech Systems

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) and KONGSBERG are hosting an event on Capitol Hill celebrating delivery of the 10,000th PROTECTOR CROWS from KONGSBERG’s Johnstown, PA factory. The event marks a significant achievement for this successful five-year U.S. Army program of record providing key equipment that protects troops in combat.

“The 10,000th PROTECTOR CROWS milestone is a testament to the talent, hard work and dedication of the people of Pennsylvania who build the system, and an example of the type of contribution Pennsylvania makes to our national defense on a daily basis”

The event takes place 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. next to the Dirksen Senate Office Building at 1st and C Street, NE, Washington, D.C., on March 28, 2012. At 9:30 a.m., KONGSBERG will also present Sen. Toomey with an award for his work on behalf of Pennsylvania.

The KONGSBERG PROTECTOR M153 CROWS is the U.S. Army’s program of record for Common Remotely Operated Weapons Stations and the primary remote weapons station being used by U.S. forces in current conflicts. The system, manufactured by a total of 280 workers in Pennsylvania–including KONGSBERG and its sub-suppliers in Johnstown, has logged over 10 million hours of reliable and successful combat operations. The PROTECTOR CROWS is also used by the National Guard units from multiple states as well as the United States Special Operations Command.

Generations of soldiers have fired machine guns from the exposed open hatch of vehicles, exposed to small arms fire and, more recently, the devastating blast effects of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The PROTECTOR CROWS enables soldiers to confidently enter combat situations by allowing them to operate machine guns mounted atop their vehicles from within the heavily armored body of modern IED resistant vehicles. The PROTECTOR CROWS gives soldiers increased situational awareness provided by the system’s sensor package, which includes enhanced day and night cameras, laser rangefinders and ballistic computers allowing for first burst accuracy. Troops who were deployed with the PROTECTOR CROWS in Iraq and Afghanistan have reported that the system enhanced their safety and helped to prevent debilitating outcomes such as traumatic brain injuries—all while giving them the ability to accurately identify and protect civilians, thereby decreasing collateral damage.

“KONGSBERG is proud to supply the U.S. Army with the PROTECTOR CROWS, an affordable and proven system that reduces risk, increases survivability and offers the flexibility to meet the needs of future requirements,” said Rune Johannessen, Vice President of Business Development, North America for Kongsberg Protech Systems.

“As the Department of Defense is required to do more with less, it is more vital than ever to make sure troops are safe, protected and continue to have the most technologically advanced and affordable systems available like the PROTECTOR CROWS. The development, manufacturing, and fielding of 10,000 high quality PROTECTOR CROWS since 2007 would not have been possible without close cooperation with the great soldiers and civilians from the U.S. Army Program Executive Office Soldier, and the support from the Pennsylvania Senate and Congressional Delegation.”

“The 10,000^th PROTECTOR CROWS milestone is a testament to the talent, hard work and dedication of the people of Pennsylvania who build the system, and an example of the type of contribution Pennsylvania makes to our national defense on a daily basis,” said Greg Platt, Vice President and General Manager for KONGSBERG’s Johnstown facility.

Personnel in war zones remain targets of deadly improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and small arms fire. Experts widely agree that the future holds more of these challenges in complex urban and coastal environments. The KONGSBERG PROTECTOR M153 CROWS is a state of the art system which is easy upgradeable to enable tomorrow’s soldiers to confidently face the challenges of future conflicts and combat zones.