BAE Systems delivered the first Amphibious Combat Vehicle Command and Control (ACV-C) variant under the full-rate production contract to the U.S. Marine Corps. The ACV-C will provide Marines with a mobile command center that enables them to maintain situational awareness and operations planning in the battlespace and on the move. The ACV-C is a tactical echelon command post for the U.S. Marine Corps regiment level.

The ACV provides the Marine Corps with open-ocean and ship-to-objective amphibious capability and improves land mobility and survivability, with ample growth capacity and flexibility to incorporate and adapt future technologies.

The ACV-C is a mission-role variant in the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) family of vehicles. It shares a common hull, powertrain, drivetrain, water propulsion system, and survivability suite with the baseline Amphibious Combat Vehicle – Personnel variant (ACV-P) and integrates seven radios to allow secure voice and data communications and a larger battery pack to support silent watch operations.

U.S. Marines assigned to the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division conduct waterborne training with the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) from aboard amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), March 9. Anchorage is underway conducting routine operations in the U.S. 3rd Fleet. Photo: USMC

To date, ACV has been customized in four configurations and is maintaining built-in growth capacity to integrate future technologies, including new battle management capabilities, advanced communications, multi-domain targeting management, beyond-line-of-sight sensors, and Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) with autonomous and unmanned systems.

The Marine Corps and BAE Systems entered full-rate production on the ACV program with a contract award in December 2020. Currently, two of the four ACV variants are in production at the BAE Systems facility in York, Pennsylvania: the ACV Personnel carrier variant (ACV-P), which provides transport for 13 combat-loaded Marines and three crew, and the new ACV-C variant. Production Representative Test Vehicles (PRTVs) currently in production are the ACV 30mm (ACV-30). ACV-30 is armed with a 30mm Remote Turret System that provides the lethality and protection Marines need while leaving ample room for troop capacity and payload.

 

ACV-30 vehicle is equipped with the Kongsberg RT20 remote weapon station mounting the 30mm Bushmaster chain gun. Photo: BAE Systems

In 2022, BAE received a $88 contract to build production representative ACV-30 vehicles for troop evaluation and testing. The ACV-30 mounts a stabilized, medium-caliber Remote Turret System manufactured by KONGSBERG. The 30mm RT-20 is a remotely controlled and operated weapons system that enhances crew protection. The remote turret eliminates the space requirement of legacy lethality systems. It provides more space to transport troops or mission essential equipment and reduces weight for better mobility.

The fourth variant is the recovery variant (ACV-R), which is designed to provide field-level maintenance support for the ACV formations. In 2022, the company received a $34.9 million contract to develop this variant.

The ACV-R will be used for recovery and support of ACV formations. Illustration: BAE Systems