BAE and Navistar win military truck contracts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. military contracts for mine-resistant vehicles totalling over $1.1 billion (545 million pounds) were announced on Friday to units of BAE Systems Plc (BAES.L) and Navistar International Corp NAVZ.PK.

Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle, a division of Armor Holdings, which is in turn part of BAE, received $481.8 million for 1,024 of the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles that are also know as MRAPs.

International Military and Government LLC, a unit of Navistar, was awarded $410.7 million for 743 MRAPs.

In a third contract, BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP, was awarded $234 million for MRAP variants including special command vehicles and ambulances.

The contracts, which are expected to be completed by November 2008, were announced in a daily list of contracts issued by the Pentagon.

MRAPs are designed to protect soldiers from roadside bombs, small arms fire and other explosive threats.

(Reporting by Tim Dobbyn; Editing by Christian Wiessner)