Contract negotiations are under way on the ACV-30 (pictured). (BAE Systems)
The US Marine Corps' (USMC's) 8×8 Amphibious Combat Vehicle-Command (ACV-C) reached its initial operating capability (IOC) in 2024, as scheduled, Janes learnt at SAE Media Group's Future Armoured Vehicle Survivability (FAVS) 2024 conference held in London from 11 to 13 November.
Colonel Timothy Hough, programme manager for Advanced Amphibious Assault in the USMC's Program Executive Office Land Systems, told Janes on 12 November that the first two ACV-Cs reached IOC on the west coast of the US and are being followed by additional vehicles.
In his presentation to FAVS 2024 earlier the same day, Col Hough said contract negotiations are under way on the ACV-30, which will be equipped with a Northrop Grumman Mk44 automatic cannon and a Kongsberg remote weapon station (RWS). The ACV-30 will be the most heavily armed USMC armoured vehicle after the marines phased out its M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks, according to Col Hough.
With an approved acquisition objective (AAO) of 390 vehicles, the ACV-P (Personnel) reached IOC in 2020. Equipped with an RWS for an Mk 19 automatic grenade launcher or 50 calibre machine gun, it is designed to embark 13 troops in amphibious operations from ship to shore and then move inland. ACVs are designed to swim 12 n miles (22 km) from their landing ships to shore. With an AAO of 33 vehicles, the ACV-C will provide a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) combat operations centre and command-and-control of the ground-based assault forces of a MAGTF moving from ship to shore and then inland. It can carry up to seven embarked battle staff and is armed with a medium-calibre machine gun for self-defence.
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