The U.S. Department of Defense has announced on Thursday that BAE Systems Land and Armaments,a subsidiary of BAE Systems, is awarded a not-to-exceed $67 million modification for contract line item numbers 8000, 8001, 8002, and 8100 to a previously awarded contract, for the development of engineering drawings, manufacture, and test support for three Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) command and control Mission Role Variants (MRVs), and the development of engineering drawings for the ACV medium caliber cannon MRV.

According to a statement released by the Department of Defense, ACV program is managed within the portfolio of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (85 %); and Aiken, South Carolina (15 %), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2022.

The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

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These vehicles will begin the transition of a portion of the Marine Corps’ Assault Amphibious Vehicle fleet.

The Assault Amphibious Vehicle has been in service for more than 40 years, and many of its components and parts are obsolete and no longer manufactured. Because of this, the vehicles are becoming increasingly costly and difficult to maintain. That, and the changing environment in which Marines find themselves plagued by the improvised explosive device threat, has produced a need for a new, more survivable combat vehicle that can maneuver from ship to shore and beyond.

The base ACV is an eight-wheeled vehicle that will provide protection akin to the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle, with landward maneuverability and mobility that is superior to that of the AAV. It will be outfitted with a precision weapons station for enhanced lethality, and a robust swim capability, allowing it to operate within the littorals and beyond.