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BAE Systems has won a £772 million contract to develop and produce the U.S. Army's latest Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle and will also take on a record number of apprentices in the UK next year.
The armoured vehicles will replace the Vietnam-era M113s and will be made at the company's plants in York, Pennsylvania, and Sterling Heights, Michigan.
The initial contract is worth £246 million and takes place over 52 months, during which time the company will develop the vehicle and produce 29 vehicles across each variant type.
The company said the Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) will “capitalise” on existing Bradley and M109A7 designs. Mark Signorelli, vice president and general manager of combat vehicles at BAE Systems, said: “The AMPV will provide a substantial upgrade over the army’s current personnel carrier fleet, increasing the service’s survivability, force protection, and mobility while providing for future growth potential. It also confirms BAE Systems’ role as a leading provider of combat vehicles.”
Meanwhile the defence firm announced it is taking on the highest number of apprentices in the company's history in the UK next year.
BAE Systems aims to recruit 710 apprentices during 2015, 142 more than last year. Two-thirds of the new recruits will be employed in engineering-related roles, with 335 apprentices needed at its submarine yard in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, 134 across its aircraft design and production sites in Lancashire, Yorkshire and Somerset, and 157 roles available at its Glasgow and Portsmouth shipyards. The remaining opportunities are spread across the country in the company's combat vehicles, electronics and cyber security divisions.
Richard Hamer, education director and head of early career programmes at BAE Systems, said: “As well as reflecting the workload at our sites, our year-on-year increase in apprentice recruitment reflects the continued success of our training programmes in developing skilled and committed employees who are highly valued by the business.”
More details of BAE Systems’ apprentice vacancies can be found at www.baesystems.com/apprentices