US Marine Corps awarded BAE Systems contract to develop ACV mission variants.

The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded BAE Systems a contract to develop two variants of the Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV) and manufacture one of them.

The U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command awarded a contract to BAE Systems to produce and deliver the Amphibious Combat Vehicles to the U.S. Marines (Picture Source: U.S. Navy)

Marine Corps Systems Command has awarded “a not-to-exceed $US 67 million modification for firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the development of engineering drawings, manufacture and test support for three ACV command-and-control Mission Role Variants (MRVs) and the development of engineering drawings for the ACV medium-caliber-cannon MRV,” according to a Defense Department release.

BAE Systems is building the ACV for the Marine Corps as an amphibious troop carrier to replace the four-decade-old Assault Amphibious Vehicle. The AAV7 is fielded in several variants, and the Corps plans to field the ACV in variants as well.

The command-and-control (C2) MRV will be the first variant of the ACV. The C2 variant will be designed for a commander and staff and equipped with computer displays and communications systems to enable the commander to maintain situational awareness of the battlefield. A variant with a medium-calibre gun atop the ACV will follow.