U.S. Army's AMPV Program at a Major Inflection Point amid an Upcoming, Rapid Production Ramp-Up

The U.S. Army's AMPV Program, which is all set to replace the Vietnam War-era M113 APCs going forward, is poised for a production ramp-up over near term with the lead contractor BAE Systems planning to increase production rate at its York, PA based facility to over 200+ units annually by the end of 2024 as the program moves further in the procurement phase after its entry into the LRIP phase in 2019. The U.S. Army plans to acquire a total of around 2900 AMPV vehicles to replace its M113s operated by the ABCTs. However, there are another 2000 M113s operated by the EABs which currently are not under the U.S. Army's radar for replacement,

BAE Systems had showcased an AMPV prototype at the AUSA earlier and recently the company once again showcased another variant at the EUROSATORY 2024 as the company actively scouts for new markets for international exports targeting the NATO members and other U.S. allies globally who have been operating the M113s for decades and are looking for a capable replacement solution. BAE Systems is actively zooming in on nations based in Europe, which already are operators of the M1 Abrams MBT or have placed orders for it, most noticeably Poland, as the AMPV will perfectly complement the M1s in the battlefield while engaging in combat over European plains. Romania and the Czech Republic, too, are on BAE System's radar as they need armor amid looming Russian threat

.The U.S. Army is procuring the AMPV in 5 primary variants, namely:- General Purpose, Mission Command, MEDEVAC, Medical Treatment and Mortar Carrier with the first set of AMPVs delivered to the 1st ABCT by BAE Systems in March 2023 followed by the award of FRIP contract in September 2023. The Army had initially planned to reach a production rate of 190 units annually. However, with an eye on the international exports market, BAE Systems is planning to increase the production rate to 220 units annually from late 2024.

BAE Systems is planning to leverage the platform's modularity and the universal top plate, also known as the External Mission Equipment Package (ExMEP), to create new, additional variants which it feels are required by the market, including, the C-UAS variant and the NxT variant using a 30mm Oshkosh cannon (showcased in March 2024 at the AUSA) which is planned to be used by the U.S. Army as the medium caliber weapon system (MCWS) on the upgunned Strykers to be used by the Stryker BCTs for the M-SHORAD mission role. The C-UAS variant was showcased by BAE Systems in November 2023. The ExMEP is capable of supporting over 30 different turret systems for a range of mission profiles which gives the AMPV a lot of versatility. In January 2024, BAE Systems had also showcased a Mortar Carrier variant with the AMPV integrated with a 120mm Unmanned Turret capable of firing mortars effortlessly. BAE Systems is also planning to develop an AMPV prototype featuring a Hybrid-Electric Drivetrain (HED) integrating a battery-electric power system and has already tested it while building upon the experience of having integrated a HED into the M2 Bradley platform. The HED capability will provide the AMPV with stealth capability given the low noise profile in the battery-electric operational mode which will make the vehicle difficult to detect on the battlefield of the future and, thus, will add to its survivability.

In 2024, BAE Systems has just received a major boost, in form, of another $754 million production contract from the U.S. Army for procurement of additional AMPVs with deliveries scheduled through 2027, thereby, ensuring that the program is truly at a major inflection point in its lifecycle...

Image Credits: BAE Systems plc