US Marine Corps awards contracts for 30 mm recce vehicle prototype

General Dynamics submitted one Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototype to the US Marine Corps for testing in 2023. (General Dynamics Land Systems )

The two competitors for the first variant of the US Marine Corps (USMC) Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) have been selected to prototype the second variant as well, the marines announced on 7 March.

Textron Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems received contracts to build one prototype each of an ARV with a 30 mm medium-calibre autocannon (ARV-30), according to a Program Executive Office Land Systems (PEO LS) press release. The technology development milestone comes as the ARV programme is expected to make an engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) decision about the first variant – command, control, communications, and computers/unmanned aircraft systems (C4/UAS).

The contract was awarded on 1 March, following the postponement of an industry day for the vehicle in February. About USD23 million in total was awarded for the prototypes, with USD10.9 million for General Dynamics and USD11.8 for Textron, which is developing its solution based on its 6×6 Cottonmouth vehicle.

Marines want the prototype to combine the turret and weapon system found on the ACV-30, Steve Myers, programme manager Light Armored Vehicles at PEO LS, said in a release. The ACV-30 – produced by BAE Systems – is equipped with the Mk44 30 mm automatic cannon inside of the Kongsberg stabilised, medium-calibre remote turret system, according to the USMC.

Army Contracting Command, which is overseeing the acquisition for the ARV programme, also plans to purchase a system integration laboratory, a ballistic/blast hull structure with add-on armour, and ballistics coupons, according to the contract award.

Meanwhile, the first production-representative ACV-30 test vehicle has been delivered to the marines, BAE Systems announced on 1 February.