US defense budget uncertainty has compelled the USMC Program Executives Office for Land Systems (PEO-LS) staff to make every taxpayer dollar count toward building the best possible future land capability for the nations’ premier expeditionary force. Programme officials at Modern Day Marine 2014 held in Quantico, Virginia detailed investment decisions.
Perhaps most critical to the USMC’s forced entry capability, the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) Survivability Upgrade Program, soon to enter Engineering, Manufacturing and Development Phase, will upgrade approximately 392 personnel variants.
Upgrades will include underside and sponsor armor, installation of new blast mitigating seats (author note: the specific type of blast mitigating seats selected will, in all probability, be the same for the USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle, according to an industry source in the program review audience), new spall liners, and requisite automotive and suspension enhancements to permit the vehicle to perform with the increased weight load.
The programme office mentioned a new Emergency Egress Lighting System (EELS) would be installed. Activated automatically should the vehicle take on water, the EELS helps Marines orientate prior an emergency seaborne exit. An EELS-type capability was planned for the cancelled Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV); it is now also being installed on USMC helicopters.
Programme officials noted three areas where new technology, rather then commercial off-the-shelf components, could have an impact on the project outcome. Survivability being the first and foremost, officials suggested an interest in any new lightweight composites and ceramic-layered armor. As weight is such a critical factor, any materials that have lower weight substitutes, depending upon cost, would benefit the AAV programme. Sustaining the 40-plus year old AAV fleet is anticipated to be another area technological solutions may be used to increase reliability.
The AAV was initially fielded in 1972. Initially upgraded to AAV7A1 configuration during the 1980’s, the fleet was again modernised to AAV7A1 RAM/RS (Reliability Availability Maintainability/Return to Standard) between 1990-2000.
The Marines currently have three variants in service, the AAVP7A1 personnel type, the AAVC7A1 C2 variant and an AAVR7A1 recovery/field mechanic vehicle. Only AAVP7A1 personnel carrier variants will receive Survivability Upgrade Program.
Survivability technology insertions, both active and under consideration include a modular lightweight external fuel tank, active laser warning and protection systems, emergency egress enhancements, blast mitigating troop seats, advanced transmission technology and fuel tank protection systems.
Data driven condition based maintenance and development of high performing track are key sustainment and in-service engineering components, PEO Land Systems officials noted.
The end of 2016 expects prototypes of the upgraded AAV; these will undergo testing with Low Rate Initial Production commencing in late 2017-2018. Full Rate Production leading to an Initial Operational Capability anticipated in 2019, according to timelines provided at the PEO-Land Systems briefing.
MT asked if nations’ currently using the AAV vehicle would be invited to participate in the Marines’ upgrade program, a PEO official, requesting his name be withheld responded, “We have quite a few countries with vehicles as old as ours, obviously there’s a business opportunity for the program winner, at that point I am sure discussions regarding foreign military sales for the upgrade package will get more serious, we communicate with our AAV user partners on a regular basis and have been asked, although a few of these countries have developed their own upgrade programs so end-users actually may soon have options ranging from a standard rebuilt to a drastic modernisation and life extension, that’s what we intend to do.”
Perhaps most critical to the USMC’s forced entry capability, the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) Survivability Upgrade Program, soon to enter Engineering, Manufacturing and Development Phase, will upgrade approximately 392 personnel variants.
Upgrades will include underside and sponsor armor, installation of new blast mitigating seats (author note: the specific type of blast mitigating seats selected will, in all probability, be the same for the USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle, according to an industry source in the program review audience), new spall liners, and requisite automotive and suspension enhancements to permit the vehicle to perform with the increased weight load.
The programme office mentioned a new Emergency Egress Lighting System (EELS) would be installed. Activated automatically should the vehicle take on water, the EELS helps Marines orientate prior an emergency seaborne exit. An EELS-type capability was planned for the cancelled Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV); it is now also being installed on USMC helicopters.
Programme officials noted three areas where new technology, rather then commercial off-the-shelf components, could have an impact on the project outcome. Survivability being the first and foremost, officials suggested an interest in any new lightweight composites and ceramic-layered armor. As weight is such a critical factor, any materials that have lower weight substitutes, depending upon cost, would benefit the AAV programme. Sustaining the 40-plus year old AAV fleet is anticipated to be another area technological solutions may be used to increase reliability.
The AAV was initially fielded in 1972. Initially upgraded to AAV7A1 configuration during the 1980’s, the fleet was again modernised to AAV7A1 RAM/RS (Reliability Availability Maintainability/Return to Standard) between 1990-2000.
The Marines currently have three variants in service, the AAVP7A1 personnel type, the AAVC7A1 C2 variant and an AAVR7A1 recovery/field mechanic vehicle. Only AAVP7A1 personnel carrier variants will receive Survivability Upgrade Program.
Survivability technology insertions, both active and under consideration include a modular lightweight external fuel tank, active laser warning and protection systems, emergency egress enhancements, blast mitigating troop seats, advanced transmission technology and fuel tank protection systems.
Data driven condition based maintenance and development of high performing track are key sustainment and in-service engineering components, PEO Land Systems officials noted.
The end of 2016 expects prototypes of the upgraded AAV; these will undergo testing with Low Rate Initial Production commencing in late 2017-2018. Full Rate Production leading to an Initial Operational Capability anticipated in 2019, according to timelines provided at the PEO-Land Systems briefing.
MT asked if nations’ currently using the AAV vehicle would be invited to participate in the Marines’ upgrade program, a PEO official, requesting his name be withheld responded, “We have quite a few countries with vehicles as old as ours, obviously there’s a business opportunity for the program winner, at that point I am sure discussions regarding foreign military sales for the upgrade package will get more serious, we communicate with our AAV user partners on a regular basis and have been asked, although a few of these countries have developed their own upgrade programs so end-users actually may soon have options ranging from a standard rebuilt to a drastic modernisation and life extension, that’s what we intend to do.”
Josh Cohen