Elizabeth de la Cruz
Battelle will manufacture armored and unarmored non-standard commercial vehicles for the U.S. Special Operations Command over the next five years as part of a $170 million contract awarded July 13.
“Under this contract, our vehicle systems team will execute on its custom designs and integrate complex systems to meet mission requirements,” Fred Byus, vice president of Battelle’s mission and defense technologies business, said in a statement released Tuesday.
The nonprofit’s vehicle systems group works to re-engineer existing vehicles with protective armor and reinforced chassis, alternators and suspensions without changing the vehicles’ original appearance.
Battelle noted the contract includes two-year options and the nonprofit will build the vehicles for USSOCOM at a manufacturing facility in West Columbus, Ohio.
