BAE Systems was awarded a $79 million contract from the U.S. Marine Corps to build and deliver production representative test vehicles for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle Recovery variant later this year.
The ACV-R will provide direct field support, maintenance and recovery to the ACV family of vehicles.
“One of the most challenging things that can happen on the battlefield is for a vehicle to breakdown or need to be recovered,” said Garrett Lacaillade, vice president of amphibious programs at BAE Systems. “The ACV-R is a modern, highly capable recovery and mobile repair unit that provides critical expeditionary support to immobilized ACVs in the field and provides maintenance support capabilities without risking our Marines’ safety.”
This contract award begins the second phase of the ACV-R program and kicks off the production of PRTVs, which will support government testing next year. The prior contract award focused on the design and development of the recovery variant and was completed within the contracted 20-month period. ACV-R is equipped with a winch and crane and can recover vehicles weighing over 30 tons, the company said.
Along with strategic partner Iveco Defence Vehicles, BAE Systems is currently in full-rate production with the ACV Personnel variant and ACV Command and Control variant, and recently delivered the first three ACV 30mm cannon variant PRTVs to the Marine Corps for testing on Jan. 31.
ACV-R production and support is taking place at BAE Systems locations in Stafford, Virginia; San Jose, California; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Aiken, South Carolina; and York, Pennsylvania.