The U.S. Army is deploying a new fleet of Case construction equipment to support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Southwest Asia and military installations around the globe. This continues Case Construction Equipment’s 150-year tradition of providing services for the U.S. Military.

As part of the deployment, Case has dispatched employees to Southwest Asia to provide contractor logistic support to the U.S. Army.

The latest Case equipment to support U.S. military operations is an armored backhoe loader. Case is in the middle of a five-year contract with the U.S. Army to supply more than 600 armored and armor-ready backhoe loaders. In January, the military placed an order for an additional 150 units.

“The BHL is the military’s most versatile piece of construction equipment,” said John Bauer, Case BHL program manager. “With a loader bucket on the front, an excavator boom on the back and dozens of available attachments, a BHL can support countless construction, demolition and operational functions.”

The first wave of new Case M400T and M400W military skid-steer loaders is also currently undergoing performance certification by the U.S. Army TACOM (Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command). Case will begin production of these units in late 2009 as part of a 10-year, $160 million contract. The order calls for more than 1,900 M400W (wheeled) and nearly 1,500 M400T (tracked) machines.

In addition, the U.S. Army and Army National Guard placed orders worth nearly $4 million with Case in February to refurbish M4K rough-terrain forklifts at its Ft. McCoy, Wis., operation. The company also refurbishes MW24C military wheel loaders at this facility.

In the past four years, Racine, Wis.-based Case has earned military contracts for more than 5,000 skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders, wheel loaders, backhoe loaders and forklifts.