General Dynamics [GD] Land Systems recently received a total of $12 million for three contracts valued from Marine Corps Systems Command supporting efforts to provide improved amphibious lift.
The three contracts, for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) Hull Survivability Demonstrator, the Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC) system demonstration and evaluation contract, and the and Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) upgrade study contract.
The ACV Hull Survivability Demonstrator contract is for the design, fabrication and test support of a full scale hull to demonstrate crew-protection technologies. ACV is planned to be the Marine Corps’ next-generation tracked amphibious system able to carry 17 marines and a crew of three from offshore to inland objectives. Work under the contract continues through December 2013. Results of the demonstration will be used to refine ACV requirements for effective protection against threats from under-vehicle blasts and fragmentation devices.
“General Dynamics Land Systems looks forward to continuing to support and participate in the Marine Corps’ efforts to offer a full range of scalable solutions with maximum commonality across the Amphibious Family of Vehicles,” said Michael Bolon, senior vice president, Navy and Marine sector at General Dynamics Land Systems. “We are confident in our ability to deliver a low-risk Amphibious Combat Vehicle solution with mature and affordable technology. Our team draws upon the industry’s most extensive breadth of amphibious combat vehicle knowledge.”
The MPC Demonstrator is an advanced eight-wheeled armored personnel carrier to provide general support lift to Marine infantry in the Ground Combat Element (GCE) maneuver task force.
The MPC family of vehicles concept consists of a base infantry carrier vehicle, a command vehicle and a recovery vehicle. The base vehicle would carry nine to 10 combat-equipped Marines and a crew. The MPC will be designed to cross rivers and inland bodies of water as well as operate along the shoreline. The prototype will help inform a capability development document. The contract work continues through August 2013.
“We are confident our demonstration and test vehicle will assist the U.S. Marine Corps in further defining MPC capabilities and specifications,” said Bolon.
The AAV upgrade study contract will deliver a trade study that assesses the impact of weight on mobility and the best path forward to increase survivability, force protection, and land and water performance to extend the life of the amphibious assault vehicle until it is replaced by the ACV. The work runs through 2013.
These efforts support the Marine mission under the direction of the Program Manager Advanced Amphibious Assault (PM AAA).