BAE Systems To Deliver First Armored Vehicle For US Army By This Year End

BAE Systems will be handing over the first of 29 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles (AMPV) to the US Army in December.

As of early October, one vehicle has been completed with nine vehicles on the production line, the company announced Friday.

These vehicles will be put through some 7,500 miles of contractor trials and 21,000 miles of US Army trials.

These prototype/pre-production AMPVs are being built under an Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) contract awarded in December 2014. Also competing for the AMPV was General Dynamics Land Systems. Critical Design Review has already been passed with a Milestone C decision due in financial year 2019.

The EMD contract also includes an option for Low Rate Initial Production under which an additional 289 AMPV would be built.

The US Army has a requirement for 2,907 vehicles in five versions. However, this will depend on the available budget - comprising 386 120 mm Mortar Carrier Vehicles, 993 Mission Command Vehicles, 790 Medical Evacuation Vehicles, 216 Medical Treatment Vehicles and 216 general purpose. These vehicles will be assigned to the service's Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs).

Production could be at the rate of 180 vehicles a year depending on funding. BAE Systems said that the modular production line can be "adjusted to the pace of the army."

The MEV, for example, will have 78% more internal volume than the M577 vehicles currently used for this battlefield mission and can be rapidly reconfigured to carry a mix of stretchers or seated personnel depending on the mission.

The AMPV consists of a new all-welded aluminium armoured hull and features explosive reactive armour for a higher level of protection against anti-tank weapons fitted with a single high-explosive anti-tank warhead.

Internally the vehicles will be fitted with spall liners and blast attenuating seats.