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Stewart & Stevenson to Complete Driveline Upgrade

18 May 2000

Stewart & Stevenson to Complete Driveline Upgrade at Fort Bragg Ahead Of Schedule

    SEALY, Texas, May 18 Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc. , a leading manufacturer,
distributor, and provider of service for industrial and energy related
equipment, and a manufacturer of medium tactical vehicles for the U.S. Army,
announced that Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicles Systems Division (TVSD)
plans to complete the driveline upgrade of 2,629 Family of Medium Tactical
Vehicles (FMTV) fielded at Fort Bragg, NC, well ahead of schedule, marking a
successful end to the overall upgrade program.
    "We are scheduled to complete the driveline upgrade work at Fort Bragg by
the end of May," said Richard M. Wiater, TVSD Vice President and General
Manager.  "The original schedule was August.  Our vendors have been able to
supply us the necessary parts for us to complete the program at an earlier
date."
    "We appreciate the interest that Congressman Robin Hayes (R-NC), who
represents the district in which Fort Bragg is located, and other members of
Congress, expressed in having a prompt completion of the FMTV upgrades.  We
are glad that we were able to accelerate the schedule," Wiater said.
    Completion of the Fort Bragg effort will denote an early finish of the
entire upgrade program that is improving the performance of the initial
production model FMTV.  The program was slated to run through the year 2000.
This driveline upgrade eliminates the vibration-induced stress to u-joints and
driveshafts experienced by the A0 model FMTV at speeds above 45 mph for long
distances on paved highways.  The vehicles are being upgraded through the
replacement of the flywheel housing, drive shaft, yokes and seals.
    The driveline upgrade has been completed at Fort Myer, VA; Fort Carson,
CO; Fort Stewart, GA; Fort Jackson, SC; Fort Huachuca, AZ; Fort Leonard Wood,
MO; Fort Benning, GA; Fort Lewis, WA; Fort Hood, TX; Fort Campbell, KY; Fort
Grodon, GA, and Fort Drum, NY and the Aberdeen Test Center, MD; along with
installations in Korea and Hawaii.  A major undertaking was the completion of
3,309 A0's in January, 2000, at the company's manufacturing plant in Sealy,
Texas.
    Production is now underway on the latest model FMTV.  Army Acquisition
Executive Paul J. Hoeper gave Stewart & Stevenson the production go-ahead in
early September 1999 to manufacture the A1, an enhanced version of the FMTV,
after prototypes successfully completed 100,000 miles of extensive testing at
the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Test Center.  The A1 FMTV incorporates the driveline
upgrade as well as other improvements.
    "The new A1 models incorporate the latest in truck technology - improving
on what had already proven to be a durable and reliable vehicle," Wiater
explained.  "Many of the enhancements are the result of the field experience
of the FMTV and a number of changes requested by soldiers to make their job
easier.  The changes are designed to provide higher quality vehicles