U.S. Army Tests AMPV 30mm Armored Vehicle to Add Medium Caliber Firepower Across Brigade Units.

BAE Systems delivered two AMPV 30 prototypes to the U.S. Army, adding a 30 mm remote turret and counter-UAS features to a vehicle family previously focused on support roles. The configuration gives armored brigades a way to distribute medium-caliber firepower beyond Bradley units while testing a modular path for faster upgrades across support formations.

Developed in six months with $17 million in internal research and development funding, the vehicles combine the AMPV chassis and common top plate with Kongsberg’s PROTECTOR Medium Caliber Turret, 30 x 173 mm ammunition, 360-degree cameras, target handoff, and counter-UAS functions. Field and live-fire trials will assess mobility, ammunition capacity, network performance, and survivability before the Army determines whether the concept should inform wider force integration alongside the Bradley and future XM30.

Related News: U.S. Army Tests AMPV Armored Vehicle With 30mm Cannon To Boost Infantry Firepower

The BAE Systems Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle fitted with a Kongsberg PROTECTOR Medium Caliber Turret and 30mm cannon displayed at AUSA 2025 in Washington D.C. (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)

The AMPV is progressively replacing the M113 family within Armored Brigade Combat Teams and serves as the basis for several support variants, including command, medical evacuation, general-purpose transport, and mortar carrier roles. The AMPV 30 explores a more combat-oriented use of this architecture. The concept gives the platform a direct-fire capability against infantry, light armored vehicles, and some fortified positions. BAE Systems states that the two vehicles bring the number of turreted AMPV prototypes funded by the company over the past two years to eight.

In a statement published on September 22, 2026, BAE Systems said the two vehicles had been delivered to the U.S. Army in April before entering trials under Transformation in Contact 2.0. Their arrival had already been announced on April 30 by the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Cavazos, Texas, where soldiers began initial integration and training activities. The configuration is based on BAE Systems’ common top plate, developed to accommodate different mission packages without major changes to the chassis. According to the company, the interface can support more than 30 turret systems.

On the vehicles delivered to the U.S. Army, this interface carries Kongsberg’s PROTECTOR Medium Caliber Turret, which has also been selected for the U.S. Marine Corps ACV-30 variant. The MCT family can integrate a 30 mm or 40 mm cannon, a coaxial machine gun, and, depending on configuration, anti-tank missiles. In its 30 mm configuration, the turret uses standard 30 x 173 mm ammunition, including programmable airburst rounds, with a linkless ammunition feed system. Kongsberg indicates a precision engagement range of up to about 3,000 meters depending on the target and configuration.

The main cannon can be reloaded from under armor, reducing crew exposure, while the remotely operated design also facilitates the integration of additional sensors or effectors. The AMPV 30 vehicles are not limited to the addition of the cannon. BAE Systems also identifies counter-unmanned aircraft system capabilities, a cross-platform target handoff function, and a 360-degree camera suite. The target-sharing function is intended to allow several vehicles to detect, identify, and transfer a target to another effector, while crews retain external situational awareness from inside the protected compartment.

This combination addresses an operating environment in which drones, distributed sensors, and precision munitions are reducing the time available between detection and engagement. From a tactical perspective, the main purpose of the concept is to distribute medium-caliber firepower beyond M2A4 Bradley units alone. Command, support, or protection elements using the AMPV architecture could gain an organic capability to protect convoys, reinforce defensive positions, or respond to light threats without systematically diverting a Bradley or an M1A2 Abrams tank. The 30 mm weapon also provides greater suppressive fire and urban engagement capability than the weapons generally fitted to support vehicles.

Testing will nevertheless have to determine the effect of the turret on mobility, ammunition capacity, and the reliability of counter-UAS functions in a contested electromagnetic environment. This approach positions the AMPV 30 as a complement to the Bradley rather than a direct replacement. It also accompanies the transition toward the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, which is intended to replace the Bradley as the U.S. Army’s future infantry fighting vehicle. The XM30 is expected to concentrate frontline combat functions, while an armed AMPV could extend part of the Army’s medium-caliber firepower to units operating around maneuver formations. Transformation in Contact provides a framework for testing this distribution before any broader procurement decision.

For the U.S. Army, the AMPV 30 primarily offers a way to extend medium-caliber firepower to units that do not always have Bradley fighting vehicles or tanks available for protection. This capability could give command, support, and sustainment elements more means to respond to light armored vehicles, infantry, and some drone threats while reducing reliance on frontline platforms for secondary engagements. The modular chassis also allows different turrets, sensors, or counter-UAS systems to be integrated as requirements change. If testing confirms the concept’s operational viability, the AMPV 30 could provide armored brigades with a more distributed and flexible allocation of firepower without requiring the Army to wait for the complete replacement of its existing combat vehicle fleet.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.