BAE Systems has been awarded a $198 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corps to deliver an initial 30 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV), with options for a total of 204 vehicles, worth up to $1.2 billion. BAE Systems, together with teammate IVECO Defence Vehicles, won the competition for the next generation of vehicles to get the Marines from ship to shore.

“We are well positioned and ready to build the future of amphibious fighting vehicles for the Marine Corps, having already produced 16 prototypes,” said Dean Medland, vice president and general manager of Combat Vehicles Amphibious and International at BAE Systems. “Through this award, we are proud to continue our partnership with the Marine Corps by providing a best-in-class vehicle to support its mission through mobility, survivability and lethality.”

The ACV provides exceptional mobility in all terrains, as well as blast mitigation protection for all three crew and 13 embarked Marines. The new vehicle is an advanced 8×8 open ocean-capable vehicle equipped with a 6-cylinder, 700HP engine, which provides a significant power increase over the Assault Amphibious Vehicle, which is currently in service and has been in operation for decades. The ACV is also adaptable to accommodate growth for future technologies or requirements.

In order to prove its vehicle’s performance, the BAE Systems team conducted its own extensive risk mitigation testing and evaluation for land mobility, survivability and swim capabilities. This was followed by the delivery of the first 16 prototypes to the Marine Corps in 2017.

Over the past 15 months, the company supported the Marine Corps’ rigorous Developmental Testing and Operational Assessment of the vehicles, which performed superbly in water and land operations, payload, and survivability.

The Marine Corps’ selection of BAE Systems for the ACV 1.1 program further solidifies the company’s 70-year legacy of providing superior amphibious vehicle capabilities to meet ship-to-objective and combat tactical lift objectives. As a leading provider of combat vehicles, the company has produced more than 100,000 systems for customers worldwide.

Manufacturing & Engineering Magazine | The Home of Manufacturing Industry News