The total numbers of ACV to be ordered has already been reduced from the initial 1,122 expected. The USMC Force Design 2030 (FD2030) plan is restructuring the force to adapt to undertake a potential high-intensity conflict with China in the Western Pacific. This means large-scale amphibious landings are unlikely, due to the proliferation of long-range missiles and ISR. Meanwhile, BAE Systems has provided a C4/Uncrewed Aerial Systems (C4/UAS) variant of the ACV to the USMC for assessment, to determine whether it can fulfil requirements for a new Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV). The assessment started in July. The USMC wants to replace its existing 8x8 Light Armoured Vehicles (LAVs), built in the 1980s, with a new platform for its Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) battalions. The Corps wants the new vehicle to have improved amphibious performance with a shore-to-shore capability, a medium calibre gun, anti-armour capability, precision-guided weapons, unmanned systems-capable and featuring advanced C2 and EW systems. BAE Systems will build three new prototype Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV) fitted with a turret and 30mm gun system for the US Marine Corp (USMC). A contract, valued at $88 million, was awarded to the company by the USMC on 15 August, covering construction of the ACV-30 Production Representative Test Vehicles (PRTV), which will feature the remotely- operated Kongsberg RT-20 medium-calibre turret. John Swift, VP of Amphibious Programs at BAE Systems, told MilTech that the three prototypes will be delivered in late 2023, under Phase Four of the ACV-30 part of the overall ACV programme. BAE is delivering four ACV variants to the USMC. The company has already handed over 152 ACV-P armoured personnel carrier (APC) variants, of the 444 currently on order, and Swift said the first ACV-C command and control variant will be delivered at the end of 2022. He explained that the company is delivering its Lot 1 vehicles. A total of 667 ACVs are expected across five successive lots. ACV is based on the Iveco SuperAV 8x8 armoured vehicle, and are intended to replace some 1100 1970s-vintage Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV7A1). They will offer additional protection and survivability capabilities, similar to those of a mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle. “We built a production representative of the ACV-30 and that has gone through characterisation evaluations,” Swift commented, “Those evaluations were completed several months ago and we reviewed the results of those with the government”. After the handover of the ACV-30 vehicles in late 2023, they will complete an assessment by the USMC, which will then decide whether to proceed to full-rate production of the variant. Swift said that although the USMC has yet to decide on the final numbers of each ACV variant within the total, the planning guidance states there will be about 30 ACV-C, 33 ACV-R recovery variants and about 170 ACV-30 vehicles – although he emphasised these are just planning numbers and subject to change. 14 · MT 5/2022 Defence of the US and its Allies Tim Fish ACV Moving Ahead on All Fronts An ACV conducting waterborne operations operated by the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 1st Marine Division in January 2022 at the US Marine Corp Base Camp in Pendleton, California. The training is designed to ensure the crew are proficient and to reinforce water integrity testing procedures. (Photo: USMC)
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