BAE Systems Land & Armaments, is awarded a $169,334,012 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV). This modification provides for the exercise of options for the procurement of 33 full-rate production ACVs and associated products, and fielding and support costs.
The Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) is a program initiated by Marine Corps Systems Command to procure an amphibious assault vehicle for the United States Marine Corps to supplement and ultimately replace the aging Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV). The ACV was born out of a combination of BAE Systems’ amphibious legacy and Iveco Defence Vehicles’ long history producing more than 30,000 multi-purpose armored vehicles.
In June 2018, the BAE design was selected, with an initial order of 30 ACVs. In June 2019, BAE Systems and Iveco were awarded a contract to develop Command and 30mm gun-armed variants.
On 15 October 2020, Iveco announced that the first fleet of 18 ACVs had been delivered to a platoon of Marines after five years of testing development.
On 10 December 2020, the Marine Corps and BAE Systems announced the commencement of full-rate production, with an initial batch of 36, expected to grow to 72 in early 2021 with an option for 80 vehicles per year thereafter.
The subcontract for the ACV’s remote turret went to Kongsberg Defence Systems with the Protector RT20. A January 2021 report from the Department of Defense’s Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) pointed to several problems with the ACV, including cramped quarters, difficult egress, and frequent breakdown.
BAE Systems is currently under contract for the development of engineering drawings, manufacture, and test support for three ACV mission role variants.
The ACV-C will provide multiple workstations for Marines to maintain and manage situational awareness in the battlespace.
The ACV-30 mounts a stabilized, medium-caliber weapon system to provide the lethality and protection the Marines need while leaving ample room for troop capacity and payload.
The ACV-R will provide field maintenance, recovery, and repair capabilities to the Assault Amphibian companies and battalion in support of the Marine division.
The ACV represents the optimum balance of sea and land mobility, survivability, and future growth potential. The ACV platform was designed to grow and adapt to mission needs, allowing space for new capabilities as technology evolves such as reconnaissance, electronic warfare, anti-air, and UAS systems integration.
With its modular design, the ACV is ready to provide Marines the flexibility to address additional mission roles and future technologies. Four Amphibious Combat Vehicles conducting swim operations at the United States Marine Corps base in California. The Amphibious Combat Vehicle is an adaptable amphibious platform designed from the ground up to fulfill the complex mission objective of deploying Marines from ship to shore.