Defense & Security News - United States
 
U.S. army budget request for 2018 will include funds to accelerate purchase of AMPV armoured.
According to Bloomberg news of March 1, 2017, the U.S. army budget request for 2018 will include funds to accelerate the purchase of new AMPV Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle designed and manufactured by the American Company BAE Systems. The Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) is the U.S. Army’s program to replace the Vietnam-era M113 Family of Vehicles.
     
According to Bloomberg news of March 1, 2017, the U.S. army budget request for 2018 will include funds to accelerate the purchase of new AMPV Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle designed and manufactured by the American Company BAE Systems. The Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) is the U.S. Army’s program to replace the Vietnam-era M113 Family of Vehicles.
BAE Systems’ Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle provides the U.S. Army with enhanced mobility, survivability, force protection, and combat superiority. (Photo: BAE Systems)
     
Following a request from the U.S. Army’s European commanders, a budget of $254 million will be invested to accelerate the purchase of 65 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles that had been scheduled to be acquired later.

The first of the new combat vehicles are expected to be deployed as part of the European Reassurance Initiative starting around October 2019, the first quarter of fiscal 2020, service spokeswoman Ashley Givens said in an email.

The AMPV program is essential to the future of the Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) and will fulfill the Army’s strategy of protection, mobility, reliability, and interoperability. The AMPV, which will be integrated with the ABCT, is required to operate alongside the M1 Abrams tank and the M2 Bradley. The AMPV has been identified by the U.S. Army as its top priority for the safety and survivability of our soldiers, and therefore, must meet tough protection requirements.

The General Purpose variant accommodates two crew, six passengers, is reconfigurable to carry one litter, mount crew served weapon, integrates two Joint Tactical Radio System Handheld, Manpack and Small Form Fit (HMS) or two Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS), Vehicle Intercom (VIC)-3, Driver’s Vision Enhancer (DVE), Duke v3, and Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2)/Blue Force Tracker (BFT).

The Mortar Carrier variant accommodates two crew, two mortar crew, a mounted 120 mm mortar, 69 rounds of 120 mm ammunition, two HMS radios, a SINCGARS radio, VIC-3, DVE, Duke v3, FBCB2/BFT and M95
Mortar Fire Control System.

The Mission Command variant is the cornerstone of the Army’s ABCT Network Modernization Strategy. It takes advantage of increased size, weight, power and cooling limitations and provides a significant increase in Command, Control, Communications and Computer capability. The variant accommodates a driver and commander and two workstation operators, and its red side Network provides full Tactical Command Post capabilities at brigade and battalion levels.

The Medical Evacuation variant includes room for three crew, six ambulatory patients or four litter patients or three ambulatory and two litter patients, two integrated HMS radios, VIC-3, DVE, DUKE v3, FBCB2/BFT and the storage for Medical Equipment Sets.

The Medical Treatment variant includes room for four crew, one litter patient, and a patient treatment table.