BAE Systems has secured a five-year sustainment and technical support contract from the US Army for the armoured multi-purpose vehicle (AMPV) programme.
The AMPV Army programme is aimed at replacing the Vietnam War-era M113s with new vehicles to meet a wide range of missions on the battlefield. It comes in five variants.
Under the latest $600m sustainment contract, BAE will add new capabilities and technologies on AMPVs throughout their lifetime.
BAE Systems AMPV programme director Bill Sheehy said: “The AMPV family of vehicles will bring an unmatched capability to the battlefield and has demonstrated outstanding survivability and force protection as well as flexibility and growth for the future.
“This contract award will not only support production, but it will also allow for future upgrades through the development and integration of new capability sets onto existing variants.”
Currently, the AMPV programme is in low-rate production and BAE Systems has delivered at least one vehicle of each of the five variants.
Among the five variants of the AMPV, the first vehicle to leave the BAE Systems production line for delivery is a Mission Command variant delivered in 2019. This vehicle facilitates digital mission command.
The general-purpose vehicle is designed to conduct resupply, maintenance and alternate casualty evacuation during battles while the mortar carrier will provide heavy mortar fire support to the ABCT during offensive operations.
The medical evacuation vehicle will enable immediate evacuation and begin initial treatment of the casualties.
The medical treatment vehicle is designed to serve as an operating room and offer life-sustaining care to heavily injured soldiers. This AMPV was delivered in December last year.
BAE will execute the AMPV programme work at its facilities in South Carolina, Alabama, Arizona, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
