According to the official reports, Spartan Motors Inc. announced it will support the U. S. military's ongoing mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle program with chassis components.

Its Chassis division received the subcontract from BAE Systems to manufacture its independent suspension technologies and other components for integration into MRAP vehicles, Michigan's Spartan has said.

It was also reported that Spartan will ship the vehicles to the Letterkenny Army Depot in Ireland ahead of final assembly for the U. S. Special Operations Command. Spartan says the contract from BAE is worth $6.8 million.

The MRAP armored vehicle program has been critical for U. S. troops operating in combat zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The armor technologies are designed to counter roadside bombs and other improvised explosive threats.

John Sztykiel, Spartan Motors president and chief executive officer, said in a statement, "The improvised explosive device threat around the world continues to expand and has nearly doubled in Afghanistan during the last year." (With Inputs from Agencies)