US Army makes $800m Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle order

BAE Systems has received a $797m contract to ramp up production of the Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) for the US Army.

Including a general purpose vehicle, a mortar carrier, medical options and mission command, the AMPV family is the first newly-designed and built tracked vehicle in the US Army’s fleet to reach full-rate production in three decades. 

The AMPV replaces the army’s fleet of Vietnam War-era M113s. It first awarded the AMPV contract in 2014, and signed a low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract in 2018. The first LRIP vehicle was delivered in August 2020.

The vehicles are designed to accommodate future technology payloads and to manoeuvre in the “toughest terrain”, BAE Systems said. They have already undergone dozens of army tests to ensure safety and combat readiness.

The family of vehicles includes:

• General Purpose vehicle, designed to operate throughout the battle space for resupply, maintenance, and casualty evacuation 
• Mortar Carrier, to provide responsive heavy mortar fire support to the armoured brigade combat team
• Medical Evacuation vehicle, designed to enable immediate treatment or evacuation of casualties
• Medical Treatment vehicle, to serve as an ‘operating room on tracks’ and deliver care to soldiers suffering from life-threatening injuries
• Mission Command vehicle, to facilitate digital mission command by providing tools that enable command, control, and communications capabilities on the battlefield.

Work on the AMPV programme is done at BAE Systems facilities in Aiken, South Carolina, Anniston, Alabama, Phoenix, Arizona, Sterling Heights, Michigan, and York, Pennsylvania.

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