US Marine Corps to be equipped with BAE Systems 8x8 Amphibious Combat Vehicle.

BAE Systems has been awarded a USD 198 million contract to deliver an initial 30 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV), with options for a total of 204 vehicles which could be worth up to $1.2 billion. BAE Systems, along with its partner Iveco Defence Vehicles, won the USMC competition for the next generation of vehicles needed to bring the Marines from ships to shore and engage in land combat operations.

BAE Systems has been awarded a USD 198 million contract to deliver an initial 30 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV), with options for a total of 204 (Picture source: Army Recognition)

"We are well positioned and ready to build the future of amphibious fighting vehicles for the Marine Corps, having already produced 16 prototypes," said Dean Medland, vice-president and general manager of Combat Vehicles Amphibious and International at BAE Systems. Over the past 15 months, BAE Systems fully invested itself in the USMC’s Developmental Testing and Operational Assessment of the vehicles.

The ACV is equipped with a FPT Industrial Cursor 16 engine - 700 horsepower, providing a significant power increase over the Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) currently operated by the Marine Corps. The vehicle excels in amphiious and all-terrain mobility, has a suspended interior seat structure for 13 embarked Marines, blast mitigating positions for a crew of three, and improved survivability and force protection over currently fielded systems.