The Mine Protected Light All Terrain Vehicle Based on a Dodge RAM Platform Unveiled at the Annual Meeting of the Association of the US Army (AUSA)
WASHINGTON, DC--(October 5, 2009) - Arotech Corporation (NASDAQ: ARTX) today unveiled at the Annual Meeting of the association of the US Army (AUSA) its new Light Protected Vehicle -- the Tiger. Based on a commercial off-the-shelf Dodge RAM 5500 platform, the MDT Tiger is a cost effective, highly armored Light Protected All Terrain Vehicle for a crew of 6-9.
The Tiger is mine and blast protected, with various add-on armor options, including reactive armor. Its 5 doors and a roof hatch offer easy loading and unloading of soldiers and equipment. The wide and spacious cabin, with its large payload capacity can be tailored to many missions.
A powerful Cummins 350 HP diesel engine, large wheels, and a 127" wheel base offer exceptional all terrain capabilities. The advanced suspension system ensures a comfortable ride for the crew. The 8.8 ton GVWR allows -- with a standard armor package -- for a 1.5 ton payload, or 6 passengers plus 900 kg of equipment. The add-on armor panels can be removed, repaired, replaced or upgraded. An optional upgrade to a 10.4 ton GVW allows for an improved armor suite, including reactive armor defeating RPG rockets and EFP charges.
The MDT Tiger LPV was designed to be cost effective. The COTS Dodge platform ensures widespread support and cost effective maintenance. The unique encapsulated cabin allows easy access to all components. The capsule can easily be removed and re-mounted, allowing its installation on a new platform, increasing its life and ensuring low life cycle cost.
The spacious cabin, with a flat floor throughout and vertical walls, allows for various seating and equipment mission-dependent arrangements. The front row has three-in-a-row seats for driver, navigator and commander. In the rear, 3, 4 or 5 passengers can ride facing forward. The rear cabin can also accommodate 6 passengers in two side-facing rows. A 2 or 4 liter MedVac option is also available.
Windows on all 4 sides allow for improved situation awareness. Optional gun-ports on all 4 directions allow for accurate small arms operation. A roof mounted remote controlled weapon station, or man-operated turret are optional.
"The Tiger expands our reach into the military vehicle market," said Robert Ehrlich, Arotech's Chairman and CEO. "With the new Tiger, the well established David and the recently announced Gideon, we now offer military armored vehicles ranging from 1.5 to 10.5 tons."
About Arotech's Armor Division
Arotech's Armor Division is an innovative leader in lightweight armoring for vehicles, aircraft and their operators. The Armor Division has years of battlefield and commercial protection experience and has provided life saving protection under the most extreme conditions.
Arotech's Armor Division consists of MDT Armor Corporation (www.mdt-armor.com), M.D.T. Protective Industries, Ltd. (www.mdtisrael.com), and Armour of America (www.aoa-usa.com).
About Arotech Corporation
Arotech Corporation is a leading provider of quality defense and security products for the military, law enforcement and homeland security markets. Arotech provides multimedia interactive simulators/trainers, lightweight armoring and advanced zinc-air and lithium batteries and chargers. Arotech operates through three major business divisions: Armor, Training and Simulation, and Batteries and Power Systems.
Arotech is incorporated in Delaware, with corporate offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan and research, development and production subsidiaries in Alabama, Michigan and Israel.
Except for the historical information herein, the matters discussed in this news release include forward-looking statements, as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including the effect of any share repurchases by Arotech. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current knowledge, assumptions, judgment and expectations regarding future performance or events. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such statements are reasonable, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as they are subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to vary materially. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks relating to: product and technology development; the uncertainty of the market for Arotech's products; changing economic conditions; delay, cancellation or non-renewal, in whole or in part, of contracts or of purchase orders; dilution resulting from issuances of Arotech's common stock upon conversion or payment of its outstanding convertible debt, which would be increasingly dilutive if and to the extent that the market price of Arotech's stock decreases; and other risk factors detailed in Arotech's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Arotech assumes no obligation to update the information in this release. Reference to the Company's website above does not constitute incorporation of any of the information thereon into this press release.
