General Dynamics wins Army urban warfare training deal

General Dynamics Information Technology won a $17 million contract from the U.S. Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation to set up a military battlefield training site with integrated equipment in Jordan.

The defense contractor will install 44 buildings in a live-fire, urbanized operations site with adjacent training ranges. The site will feature high-tech instruments for day and night video, audio capabilities, a control suite and a post-action review theater. It also will have an extensive target range, battlefield special effects and a tactical driver's training course.

The site will serve as the regional hub for urban warfare training of both U.S. and allied forces in the Middle East.

The Army Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation provides support for the Army's training systems worldwide. General Dynamics developed its first military operations on urbanized terrain site at Fort Polk, La., and has set up others in various locations around the world.

General Dynamics Information Technology of Fairfax, Va., is a unit of General Dynamics Corp. of Falls Church, Va.

The parent company, which has about 81,100 employees worldwide and reported 2005 revenue of $21.2 billion, ranks No. 4 on Washington Technology's 2006 Top 100 list the largest federal IT contractors.