Jane Edwards
BAE Systems and its partner Iveco Defense Vehicles have concluded the shipboard testing phase off the coast of Italy for a prototype amphibious combat vehicle the companies built for the U.S. Marine Corps, Defense News reported Wednesday.
Jen Judson writes John Swift, ACV program manager at BAE, told the publication Wednesday at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space conference in Maryland that the ACV prototype was able to demonstrate ship launch-and-recovery capabilities including traction to maneuver itself back onto the ship through a ramp.
BAE and Science Applications International Corp. were awarded contracts worth up to $225 million combined in 2015 to design and build 16 ACV prototypes each for the Marine Corps.
Swift said BAE has four ACVs that are in the testing phase with USMC and has handed over six ACVs to the service branch with plans to deliver two additional vehicles next week.
The report noted that the military branch requires BAE and SAIC to deliver all vehicle prototypes by June 15 and plans to deploy 204 vehicles by 2020.
Swift added that he expects the Marines to issue a final request for proposals by December and decide on low-rate initial production for the ACV program by June 2018 through a contract that could reach a ceiling value of $1.2 billion should USMC exercise all options.
