12 July 2016, 21:07 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Special Operations Command is buying $170 million worth of new trucks from the Battelle Memorial Institute, a cutting edge and top-secret scientific research institution, the Department of Defense announced.
"Battelle Memorial Institute [of] Columbus, Ohio, is being awarded a… contract for the purchase of non-standard commercial vehicles in support of US Special Operations Command," the announcement stated on Wednesday.
The announcement said the contract was only for modified commercial off the shelf trucks and sport utility vehicles with armor, heavy-duty suspension and brakes and communication equipment added.
However, Battelle carries out research and development at major technology centers and national laboratories around the globe. It is the world’s largest nonprofit research and development organization, with over 22,000 employees at more than 60 locations globally, the institute’s website said.
