FORT WORTH, TEXAS (November 23, 2016) – Elbit Systems of America announced today that it was awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (“ID/IQ”) contract for the production of 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm Mortar Weapon Systems, which include the following items: M224 60mm Legacy Mortar Weapon System; M252 81mm Legacy Mortar Weapon System; M224A1 60mm Lightweight (LW) Mortar Weapon System; the M252A1 81mm LW Mortar Weapon System (to include the M253A1 81mm LW Inconel cannon); the M121 120mm Carrier Mounted Mortar Weapon System, and the M120A1 120mm Towed Mortar Weapon System which includes the M326 120mm Mortar Stowage Kit. The ID/IQ contract will support the Army’s Product Manager for Guided Precision Munitions and Mortar Systems for US and foreign allied delivery requirements, with a maximum value of approximately $103 million, will be completed in five years.

“We are extremely pleased to continue our partnership with the United States Army by supplying our warfighters with the mortar weapon systems that enhance their mission effectiveness and provide the necessary lethality and flexibility to address current and future threats,” commented Raanan Horowitz, president and chief executive officer of Elbit Systems of America.

Elbit Systems of America established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Army’s Watervliet Arsenal (WVA), New York that will effectively employ WVA as a subcontractor to Elbit Systems of America on many mortar components.

“Working closely with Watervliet Arsenal, we established a unique partnership that capitalizes on the strengths of the U.S. Army and combines those strengths with our industry expertise to create an opportunity for organic manufacturing capabilities,” commented Dr. Amela Wilson, Elbit Systems of America’s vice president of Sensors and Fire Control Solutions.

Elbit Systems of America will turn the MOU into a public-private partnership in order to combine the best practices of industry with proven Army manufacturing expertise and to support the Program Executive Office Ammunition mission to strengthen the Army’s organic manufacturing capabilities. This public-private partnership will enable the U.S. Government to retain an industrial manufacturing base vital for strategic responses, while employing the best practices of the civilian industry to organize supply chain activities, conduct vendor management, and risk management.

The award of the Mortar Weapon Systems, solidifies Elbit Systems of America’s position as a leading provider of mortar systems for the U.S. Army.