Case Construction Equipment has produced the first 50 Case armored backhoe loaders (BHLs) for the U.S. Army as part of a five-year contract awarded to Case for a total of 626 Case backhoe loaders. Manufactured at the Case plant in Burlington, Iowa, these 50 units were deployed in October to Southwest Asia to support military efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Another 150 non-armored Case backhoe loaders for the U.S. Army also are in production in Burlington to meet delivery requirements stateside in November.
“The U.S. Army chose Case for this contract based on our ability to support equipment with parts and technical service wherever our soldiers are serving around the globe; the technical performance and reliability of our machines; and our past performance in supporting other military contracts,” said Jim Hasler, vice president, Case Construction Equipment. “The Case armored and non-armored BHLs are built to U.S. military specifications and are designed to provide the men and women in the U.S. armed forces with a safe, productive working environment.”
Case employees at the Burlington plant commemorated the rollout of the 50 armored BHLs by posing for a picture with the equipment. Case also is sending three employees to Southwest Asia to provide technical support to the U.S. Army for the Case BHLs.
Exterior cab panels on the Case BHL are interchangeable to match any threat, enabling the machine to quickly transform from standard to fully armored configuration. Designed for enhanced operability and survivability, the spacious cab stays cool in the hottest climates. The cab features the Visibility Improvement Package (VIP), which includes four external cameras and three internal monitors that provide ground level vision to the entire work area from the protected cab, without exposing the operator to danger.
Case is the first construction equipment manufacturer to incorporate armor into equipment during production and the first to install a camera system on a machine during production, according to the manufacturer.
In the past four years, Case has earned military contracts for more than 5,000 skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, wheel loaders, loader/backhoes and forklifts. Case has provided service to the U.S. military for more than 150 years.
For more information, call 262/636-5871.
