BAE Systems is continuing to deliver Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles (AMPVs) to the US Army. THe U.S. Army had accepted two AMPVs and BAE Systems has an additional two vehicles ready for acceptance. The company was under contract to begin delivering vehicles to the army in March, but the duo modified the deal and pushed the date back until July. However, that date was delayed further, and the service did not accept the first vehicle, a mission command variant, until late August. Work on the AMPV program takes place across BAE Systems’ industrial network, which includes facilities in Aiken, S.C., Anniston, Ala., Phoenix, Ariz., Sterling Heights, Mich., and York, Penn.
The AMPV is central to the U.S. Army’s modernization objectives and comes in five variants to meet a wide range of missions across the battlefield.Identified by the Army as a top priority for safety and survivability, the AMPV family provides the Army with a highly survivable and mobile fleet of vehicles that address a critical need to replace the Vietnam War-era M113s and maneuver with the ABCT in challenging terrain on the front lines. The AMPV has built-in growth to add new capabilities as technology evolves, including enhanced power generation for advanced electronics, and network connectivity. The AMPV has completed nearly two dozen tests and has consistently met or exceeded all of its requirements.
On 28 May 2014, BAE Systems submitted their proposal for the AMPV competition. Their submission was based on Bradley and Paladin Integrated Management designs to meet the force protection and all-terrain mobility requirements with maximum commonality within the family of vehicles. The BAE AMPV team includes: DRS Technologies for power management, distribution, and integration; Northrop Grumman for Mission Command Mission Equipment Package design and integration; Air Methods Corporation for medical evacuation and treatment subsystems; and Red River Army Depot for vehicle teardown and component remanufacture.
On 23 December 2014, BAE Systems was awarded a $383 million contract to begin the Engineering, Manufacturing, and Development (EMD) phase of the AMPV program. The initial award is for a 52-month base term to produce 29 vehicles across each of the variants. It also contains the option to begin Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) immediately following the EMD’s conclusion to produce an additional 289 vehicles for the total contract value of $1.2 billion. The vehicles are to move as rapidly as the primary combat vehicles in an ABCT during unified land operations over multiple terrain sets with superior force protection, survivability, and mobility than the M113.
