BAE To Build Marine Amphibious Combat Vehicle

The Marine Corps awarded BAE Systems a $198 million contract to build and deliver 39 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs). In time, the company could provide as many as 204 ACVs, with the contract ultimately expanding to $1.2 billion. BAE already has produced 16 prototypes. Each vehicle would be operated by a three-man crew, and capable of carrying 13 Marines. The company stated on its web site that prototype vehicles performed well in water and land environments, lived up to payload requirements, and demonstrated survivability. Its six-cylinder, 700 horsepower engine would provide significantly better performance than available in the aging fleet Assault Amphibious Vehicles. Work will take place at BAE’s facilities in Aiken, S.C., Sterling Heights, Mich., Minneapolis, Stafford, Va., San Jose, Calif., and York, Pa.