Monday, June 20, 2016

Prototype ACV being built.


via Defense News.
BAE Systems is already in the process of assembling its first six of 16 prototype Amphibious Combat Vehicles for the US Marine Corps, and SAIC plans to begin integration work on its vehicles this summer.
The Marine Corps awarded contracts to both companies worth a little over $100 million each in November last year to build engineering and manufacturing development vehicles for its next-generation ACVs, which will ferry troops ashore and into battle.
BAE Systems and SAIC are expected to build 16 eight-wheeled vehicles over 2016 to be tested by the service in 2017. The Marine Corps will then pick a winner in 2018 to deliver 204 vehicles by 2020.
The total value of the contract with all options exercised is expected to amount to about $1.2 billion.
Time to do a deep dive to see how the SuperAV stacks up against the Terrex 2.  Even more interesting is whether or not the SuperAV continues to have a water advantage over its competitor.  I'm not so sure anymore.

The slow pace of the program in comparison to what we're seeing on the aviation side of the house is still a concern and I'm not entirely convinced that we won't see another delay so that the Marine Corps can fund all the aviation projects that will be competing for funding.  Remember there are still more MV-22s, F-35s, and CH-53Ks to buy.  That's more than a pretty penny and will probably consume all funds unless Congress reverses the sequester.

If the program does stay on track this time then the USMC will probably establish a new baseline in amphibious vehicles.  S. Korean and Japanese efforts to enter this market place will be squashed and they'll more than likely follow our lead.


No comments :

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.