FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Jan. 31) — Michelin North America Inc.´s BFGoodrich unit has won a $10.7 million contract to supply the U.S. military with tires for the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or Humvee.
BFGoodrich will be the majority supplier, but Goodyear — up to now the sole supplier of military Humvee tires — also will continue to supply the Humvee, a Michelin spokeswoman said.
The tire to be supplied will be a BFGoodrich Baja T/A radial tire designed specifically for military use, and it will be produced in BFG´s Fort Wayne plant starting in May, the company said.
The specially designed tire has an E load-rating capacity of 4,540 pounds per tire at 65 psi, according to Michelin. It also has 22.5-percent better tread life, 11-percent better wet pavement maneuverability, 8-percent better dry pavement maneuverability and 20-percent better mud traction than the previous tire fitment, the company said.
The tire size is 37x12.5, according to AM General L.L.C., the Humvee´s maker.
Earlier this month, Michelin Americas Truck Tires won a 10-year, $1.7 billion contract to provide ground tire logistics to all branches of the U.S. military worldwide. The company also recently secured a $700 million contract for aircraft tire logistics.