BAE Systems
BAE Systems showcased two Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) prototypes. A new AMPV prototype equipped with a 30mm turret will be featured alongside the AMPV Modular Turreted Mortar System (MTMS), which just completed U.S. Army evaluations at the Yuma Test Center. BAE Systems' common top plate is what enables the seamless incorporation of these mission equipment packages onto the AMPV and is adaptable to more than 30 different turret systems.
The latest configuration – which is the fifth in a series of AMPV prototypes BAE Systems has unveiled in the last year – features the KONGSBERG Medium Caliber Turret (MCT), a compact and light weight remote turret system the U.S. Marine Corps has selected to field on the 30mm variation of their Amphibious Combat Vehicle program.
"Our goal with the AMPV common top plate has remained the same since day one," says Bill Sheehy, AMPV program director for BAE Systems. "We are demonstrating the time and cost-effective options the AMPV brings to the table for Soldiers who need new and evolving capabilities quickly so they are ready for today's battlefields and can easily adapt to the unpredictable needs that will occur decades from now. The AMPV hull provides the U.S. Army with a full spectrum of options for potential upgrades and mission roles beyond the current family of vehicles."
One of those options the Army is currently evaluating is the AMPV MTMS. The prototype integrates the AMPV and common top plate with the KONGSBERG/Patria NEMO remote-controlled 120mm turreted mortar system. BAE Systems delivered the prototype to the Army in January 2024 for a full battery of field evaluations. After completing those evaluations, the AMPV MTMS participated in a successful live fire demonstration on September 10 at the Maneuver Warfighter Conference in Fort Moore, Georgia before AUSA.
The three other systems that have been configured onto the AMPV over the last year include a C-UAS turret, an unmanned 30mm turret and a medium caliber 30mm weapon system—all adapted to the hull using the same common top plate.
"The AMPV is truly future-proofed," Sheehy says. "We purposefully designed these vehicles with modularity, flexibility and forward-looking technology which provides the Army with a ready-for-anything platform that's capability agnostic. Like its predecessor, AMPVs will be everywhere in the formation."
In addition to prototyping efforts, BAE Systems is close to completing its efforts to expand the AMPV production line in York, Pennsylvania. Continued investment in AMPV production ensures the company maintains the capacity and technology necessary to deliver capability to the Army at a faster pace and with higher volumes.