DRS Technologies producing heavy ammunition trailers for Army

Parsippany, NJ-based DRS Technologies has received an $8.5 million order to produce M989A1 Heavy Expanded Mobility Ammunition Trailers (HEMATs) for the US Army. The HEMAT is a key transport system extensively used to transport Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) pods, conventional ammunition and other equipment on paved, secondary or cross-country roads to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Work for this award will be accomplished by the company's DRS Sustainment Systems unit in West Plains, MO. “The DRS-built HEMAT system provides the Army with an extremely stable platform to transport MLRS pods and other cargo across the battle space, ensuring military readiness in ongoing operations,” said Daniel A. Rodrigues, president of DRS's Sustainment Systems & Services Group. “This key transport system continues to demonstrate reliability, durability and versatility under extremely harsh conditions and remains an integral part of the military's operations in Iraq.”

Over the past 15 years, more than 2,000 HEMAT systems, which have a capacity for 11 tons, have been produced and used extensively by the Army worldwide.