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Kongsberg’s RT20 Turret Deal Advances U.S. Marine Corps’ ACV-30 Amphibious Combat Vehicle Program.
Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace has secured an $80.1 million contract modification to deliver 52 PROTECTOR RT20 remote turrets for the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle 30mm variant. The award signals that the ACV-30 program is moving beyond low-rate procurement and into a stable production posture that will shape Marine Corps amphibious firepower for years.
On December 17, 2025, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace was awarded an $80,163,321 firm-fixed-price contract modification to supply 52 PROTECTOR RT20 remote turrets for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle 30mm (ACV-30) variant, as reported by the U.S. Department of War. This award raises the potential value of the turret line under contract M67854-25-C-2023 to $282,820,227 if all options are exercised, confirming that the ACV-30 is moving into a sustained industrial phase. In parallel, Northrop Grumman has transitioned its Mk44S Bushmaster production for the ACV-30 to full-rate status and BAE Systems has secured a $184 million order for 30 additional ACV-30 vehicles, as reported by Army Recognition. These decisions show the Marine Corps locking in a stable combination of platform, turret and medium-caliber gun that will shape its amphibious combat power for the next decade.
Kongsberg’s $80.1 million RT20 turret contract confirms the U.S. Marine Corps is committing to sustained production of the 30mm-armed ACV, cementing a long-term amphibious firepower upgrade (Picture Source: BAE Systems / Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace)
The core of this package is Kongsberg’s PROTECTOR Remote Turret 20, the smallest member of the PROTECTOR RT family that also includes the RT40 and RT60 variants. The RT20 is an unmanned, marinized medium-caliber turret designed for wheeled and tracked combat vehicles, drawing on a broader PROTECTOR lineage that has seen more than 20,000 remote weapon stations delivered to over 20 nations. It is configured to integrate either the XM813 or Mk44 30/40 mm Bushmaster cannon with a linkless dual-feed system, typically loading 2×75 ready rounds of 30×173 mm or Super 40 ammunition, alongside a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun with 200 ready rounds. All functions are operated from under armor using an integrated combat solution that combines day camera, thermal imager and laser rangefinder for 24-hour target engagement. The turret architecture is modular, allowing optional roof-mounted weapons, anti-tank guided missiles, smoke grenade launchers and different protection kits, and can be configured in one- or two-operator “hunter-killer” modes to match user doctrine.
The ACV-30 variant itself is the fire-support member of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle family, which is replacing the ageing AAV-7 amphibious assault vehicle. Based on the Iveco SuperAV 8×8 chassis and produced in the United States by BAE Systems, the ACV platform first entered service in troop-transport and command configurations before the 30 mm turreted version was contracted. Production-representative ACV-30s fitted with the Kongsberg RT20 and a 30 mm Bushmaster cannon were delivered to the Marine Corps for testing, validating the integration in surf, on land and during live-fire trials. More recently, Northrop Grumman announced the start of full-rate production of Mk44S guns specifically for the ACV-30, while BAE Systems received a $184 million modification to deliver 30 ACV-30 vehicles, confirming that hulls, turrets and guns are now being procured in coordinated lots rather than as isolated elements. This evolution marks the transition of the ACV-30 from a development effort to a fully embedded program of record within the wider ACV fleet.
At the tactical level, the RT20-equipped ACV-30 significantly expands what a Marine rifle unit can do once it leaves the well deck. The 30 mm Bushmaster with linkless dual-feed and first-round ammunition selection allows crews to move rapidly between armor-piercing, high-explosive and, where fielded, programmable airburst rounds, giving a single vehicle the ability to engage infantry in cover, light armored vehicles, small surface craft and some classes of unmanned aerial systems. The stabilized turret, coupled with modern day/night sensors and laser rangefinding, enables accurate fire on the move and “hunter-killer” operation, in which commander and gunner can search, designate and engage targets in parallel. Because the system is fully remote, with both main gun and coaxial weapon reloadable from inside the hull, the crew can fight and sustain fire while remaining under armor in high-threat or contaminated environments. For dispersed expeditionary units operating from expeditionary advanced bases or along contested coastlines, sections of ACV-30s can act as mobile direct-fire support, convoy escort, coastal security and limited counter-UAS assets without immediately calling on aviation or higher-tier fires.
Strategically, the new turret contract fits directly into the U.S. Marine Corps’ shift toward stand-in forces and operations from small, distributed bases in contested maritime regions. As the Corps reorients away from heavy tracked formations and has divested its M1A1 Abrams tanks, it requires amphibious platforms that combine ship-to-shore mobility with credible land-combat lethality. The ACV-30, armed with the RT20 and Mk44S, addresses this requirement by giving amphibious units an organic capability against peer and near-peer light armor, fortified positions and emerging drone threats, while still being able to launch from amphibious ships in Sea State 3 and operate in demanding littoral conditions.
Beyond the purely military dimension, the program reinforces transatlantic industrial ties: turrets are developed and partly manufactured in Norway, production work is carried out in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, the chain guns are built in the United States, and BAE Systems integrates the complete system on American-assembled ACV hulls. In an era of renewed great-power competition, that shared supply chain strengthens NATO’s ability to generate and sustain amphibious combat power across the Atlantic.
From a budgetary perspective, the latest $80,163,321 modification finances 52 full-rate production RT20 turrets, associated production and fielding activities, support and test equipment, and spares, with work split 62 percent in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and 38 percent in Norway, and completion expected by November 30, 2028. This award builds on previous funding lines under the same contract family that covered long-lead items and earlier production options and raises the potential total value for Kongsberg’s ACV-30 turret work to $282,820,227 if all options are exercised. In parallel, BAE Systems’ $184 million contract to provide 30 ACV-30s confirms that turreted variants now occupy a defined share of the ACV acquisition profile, while Northrop Grumman’s move to full-rate Mk44S production shows that ammunition, gun and turret procurement are being synchronized to avoid bottlenecks. The overall picture is one of a mature program with multi-year funding and a clear production horizon rather than an experimental niche capability.
This convergence of contracts for hulls, turrets and guns indicates that the U.S. Marine Corps has decisively committed to a new generation of amphibious vehicles capable of delivering protected mobility and sustained medium-caliber fire in contested littorals. By choosing a remote, marinized turret with a growth path to heavier calibers and additional effectors, and by anchoring production in both North America and Norway, Washington is equipping its Marines for the operational realities of future maritime conflicts while reinforcing transatlantic defense-industrial links. For allies and potential adversaries, the signal is that U.S. amphibious forces will arrive from the sea with not only the ability to land and maneuver, but also with organic, networked and scalable firepower designed to endure over time.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.