New quality control measures may be hampering BAE Systems’ ability to deliver M109A7 self-propelled howitzers to the US Army in a timely fashion, but the service said similar problems are not occurring with the low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV).
Ashley John, the public affairs director for the army’s Program Executive Office for Ground Combat Systems, recently told Jane’s that the AMPV programme “has not experienced quality control issues in LRIP” and the company is on track to deliver more vehicles than initially planned.
“The AMPV program is currently poised to deliver over 450 vehicles during (LRIP) against an initial plan of 289 vehicles,” John wrote in a 25 June email. “These additional vehicles will begin fielding to Europe and (Continental United States) units in the timeframes directed by army leadership. At this time, all vehicles are on schedule.”
BAE Systems and the US Army are currently in the AMPV LRIP phase. The service said the programme is currently on schedule. (BAE Systems)
AMPV is slated to replace the army’s M113 family of vehicles with five configurations – general purpose, mission command, mortar carrier, medical evacuation, and medical treatment vehicles – that will move through a production line at BAE Systems’ York, Pennsylvania facility at the same time.
The company is also using this facility to manufacture an array of other combat vehicles including the army’s new howitzer and the US Marine Corps’ (USMC’s) Amphibious Combat Vehicle. Over the past couple of years, quality control issues have cropped up at the York facility, and in 2017 welding problems on the howitzer line resulted in a six-month delivery halt. While the army and company both told Jane’s
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