Vehicle Armor History

BAE Systems and its heritage companies have provided armored vehicles and integrated armor solutions for customers all over the world for over 60 years.

Our typical customers include the U.S. Government and military, international governments and allied forces, OEMs, corporations, and private individuals. Originally as Hess & Eisenhardt (1940s) and O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt (1980s) the company built unarmored and armored stretched limousines for customers including President Harry Truman and other dignitaries. In 1993, the company transferred its expertise in armoring commercial vehicles to military systems. As the sole-source supplier of the Up-Armored high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), identified as the M1114 (and its variants: the M1116 and M1145), the company delivered over 20,000 of these vehicles to the U.S. military and allied forces by mid 2007. In addition, the company developed the armor system for the M1151, M1152 and M1165 Up-Armored HMMWV for installation by AM General. More than 20,000 sets of armor have been delivered by mid-2008 and production is on-going. In 2001, O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt became a part of Armor Holdings and in 2007 was acquired by BAE Systems. Armor systems continue to be produced for many tactical wheeled vehicles including: PLS, HET, M915, ASV, and various FMTV variants and MRAP designs.