BAE Nears U.S. Army Approval of $10 Billion Howitzer Project After Years of Flaws
- U.S. Army delays decision on full production until November
- Defense chief Esper kept watch over program as Army secretary
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BAE Systems Plc may win U.S. Army approval as soon as next month for full-rate production of self-propelled howitzers after the $10 billion program was hobbled by several years of delays over defects.
The company has been assembling the weapons system since October 2013 under low-rate contracts as it produced the vehicles late and with numerous welding defects. Deliveries were halted for six months in 2017 because of welding flaws that required the return for repairs of 50 of 86 vehicles already delivered.