BAE Systems has been awarded a contract for 36 Assault Amphibious Vehicles as part of a foreign military sale for Taiwan. The deal, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, is valued at more than $83.6 million under the terms of a firm-fixed-price contract that enables BAE Systems to build, test, and deliver more than 30 tactical vehicles, according to the Pentagon.
The contract under the Taipei Economic Cultural Representative Office Foreign Military Sales program includes training, engineering services, logistics, and other support and is expected to be completed by July 22, 2020. The contract will also include “support and test equipment, spares, publications, training, engineering services, logistics, and other technical support required,” 30 Assault Amphibious Vehicle, Personnel (AAVP7A1), four command vehicles (AAVC7A1) and two recovery vehicles (AAVR7A1). Work on the contract will occur in York, Penn., and is expected to be completed by July 2020. The total cumulative value of the contract award will be obligated to BAE System at time of award. The obligated funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year in September, the Pentagon said.
The Assault Amphibious Vehicle was first introduced in 1972, when it was known as the Landing Vehicle, Tracked. It was upgraded in 1982 and renamed in 1984. The tracked vehicle’s Personnel carrier variant has a crew of at least three and can carry 21 combat troops or up to 10,000 lbs (4,536 kg) of equipment. The AAV has a top speed of 7 knots in the water and up to 45 mph (72 km/h) on land. It has a range of more than 200 miles (320 km) on land and can swim for more than seven hours.
The vehicle carries a .50 cal heavy machine gun and 40mm automatic grenade launcher. The Command variant does not have a turret, and much of its internal space is contains communications equipment. it carries five radio operators, three staff and two commanders. The Recovery variant, also turretless, carries a crane.
