via Business Wire
BAE Systems has handed over the first of a new variant of the Amphibious Combat Vehicle to the U.S. Marine Corps for testing. The Command variant (ACV-C) is designed to provide the highest levels of communications, coordination, and analysis on the battlefield to support command and control.
BAE Systems is under contract to deliver two variants to the Marine Corps under the ACV Family of Vehicles program: the ACV personnel carrier (ACV-P) and the ACV-C. A 30mm cannon (ACV-30) is currently under contract for design and development and a recovery variant (ACV-R) is also planned.
The ACV-C employs multiple work stations for Marines to maintain and manage situational awareness in the battle space. The work stations access independent networks for advanced digital communications while on the move. This capability supports immediate information synchronization in the application of combat power.
“This ACV’s base design for payload makes it a uniquely adaptable platform for the integration of numerous mission capability sets,” said John Swift, director of amphibious programs at BAE Systems. “The delivery of the first ACV-C for testing is significant as it provides Marines with advanced operational control for defeating adversaries. Marines will be able to quickly receive and analyze data, coordinate battlefield functions, and transmit information to provide terminal mission control rapidly from the mobile protected ACV-C.”
The ACV platform was designed to grow and adapt to mission needs, allowing space for new capabilities as technology evolves such as turreted, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, anti-air, and UAS systems integration.
The Marine Corps and BAE Systems entered full-rate production on the ACV program with a contract award in December, achieving its most significant milestone to date along with the Marine Corps’ decision to declare Initial Operational Capability (IOC). Work is currently underway on the ACV-30 variant.
ACV production and support is taking place at BAE Systems locations in Stafford, Virginia; San Jose, California; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Aiken, South Carolina; and York, Pennsylvania.
via Marines.mil
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va.—Marines recently received an innovative new optic that better prepares them to engage adversaries from longer distances.
In January, Marine Corps Systems Command’s Program Manager for Infantry Weapons began fielding the Squad Common Optic—a magnified day optic comprising an illuminated and nonilluminated aim-point designed to improve target acquisition and probability-of-hit with infantry assault rifles.
The SCO can be attached to the M4 and M4A1 Carbine as well as the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. It will supplement the attrition and replacement of the Rifle Combat Optic and the Squad Day Optic for each of those weapons for close-combat Marines.
“The Squad Common Optic provides an improved day optic to infantry and infantry-like communities, including reconnaissance units” said Tom Dever, project officer for Combat Optics at MCSC. “It’s a system that improves situational awareness and decreases engagement times, greatly benefiting Marines.”
SCO an improvement over RCO
The SCO enables Marines to identify targets from farther distances than the existing RCO system.
Roger Boughton, MCSC’s lead engineer for the SCO program, said the RCO has a fixed magnification, whereas the SCO provides a variable power. This means Marines can use the SCO to identify targets at both close and far distances, providing twice the visual range of the RCO.
“Having an optic that can reach out to longer distances will ultimately make the Marine a more lethal first-shot shooter,” said Boughton. “This means they can use less rounds to overwhelm an enemy.”
Maj. Kyle Padilla, MCSC’s optics team lead and an infantry officer, said the SCO is agnostic to the round and weapon system, which provides additional flexibility for Marines. This allows for movement to a different host weapon and accommodates the employment of the M855, M855A1 or future ammunition.
“It’s all about making an accurate decision,” said Padilla. “The SCO gives squad leaders or individual riflemen more time to make a decision to eliminate that threat if necessary.”
The system is also easy to assemble. The SCO includes a mount that prevents Marines from needing to carry tools to remove or exchange the optic, lightening the load for Marines.
“If you want to mount it onto the rail of the weapon, you don’t need a wrench to tighten anything,” said Boughton. “You just need your hands.”
‘A step in the right direction’
The SCO program moved rapidly from program designation to fielding in just 16 months. After awarding a contract, PM IW conducted various user assessments, including a simulated 10,000-round fire exercise, during production verification testing to confirm performance and resolve issues.
During these evaluations, Marines raved about the benefits of the SCO and its improvement over the existing system.
“Being able to shoot farther, identify targets at greater ranges and be more accurate will make them more lethal,” said CWO4 David Tomlinson, MCSC’s infantry weapons officer. “Marines have expressed excitement over this capability.”
CWO4 Gerald Eggers, the infantry weapons officer at The Basic School, participated in the system’s fielding in January, aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. He commended the scope’s variable power magnification as well as its ability to be employed with different ammunition and weapons.
“Marines with M27s will greatly benefit with this scope,” said Eggers. “I certainly believe the SCO fielding is a step in the right direction.”
Dever said the fielding of the SCO puts an improved capability into Marines’ hands more quickly and enables them to carry out their missions more efficiently and effectively.
“The rapid acquisition and fielding of improved capabilities is vital to equipping the Marine Corps to operate inside actively contested maritime spaces in support of fleet operations,” said Dever.
The program office anticipates the weapon reaching Full Operational Capability in fiscal year 2022.
Arguably the single most important decision I've seen in defence circles for well over a decade.https://t.co/GjKCNvD5hu
— Francis Tusa (@FTusa284) February 18, 2021
1° Air Brigate Special Operation of #ItalianAirForce🇮🇹, is the component dedicated for tactical transport and for airborne troops, with the task of managing Special Forces (17°#StormoIncursori) and the Protection Forces for land defence of A.F. installations (16° Prot. Forze). ✈️ pic.twitter.com/aAaJyTQfu0
— Ciro Nappi (@CiroNappi6) February 18, 2021
One of the best officers I know is calling it quits bc he realizes he can’t preserve his fam and keep working. Me and one of my best friends (another LTC) struggled w the same tension - we both failed, both lost our wives. I’m glad this other guy is getting right. /2
— Nick F. (@NCFranklin) February 17, 2021
Is this good leadership? What about the single soldier that is having to bear the additional load while these family men/women are at home doing their thing? Is this the warrior culture we want or is it an aberration that should be fully thought thru?
Seems to me like this is the same issue that people face on the job in or out of uniform. So why are they pushing so hard in the military now? Long hours are expected if you want to rise in corporate America, why is it different in the military?
I just don't know.
What I do know is that at one time people talked about the sacrifices they made to "make it". What happens to a society/culture/military when success is available without it?
Regardless.
What's your thoughts? I'm of really no opinion on this. Either way is good with me but I can see the pitfalls BOTH WAYS!
