Latest news with #ACV-30
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Defense contractor Kongsberg plans to add 30 jobs
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – In a photo of a U.S. Marine Corps amphibious combat vehicle produced by BAE Systems in York County, the 35-ton machine looks like a crocodile moving through salty water to shore. It moves through waves and swells, showing only its 'eyes and teeth' – an integrated medium caliber remote turret system – manufactured in Johnstown. BAE Systems recently won contracts to build the vehicles, and the U.S. government is separately procuring the turret systems from Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace Inc., a Norwegian company with a manufacturing location in Johnstown. Last week, BAE Systems announced it had been awarded two contract sublots with a combined value of $360 million to deliver 60 vehicles for the U.S. Marine Corps' Amphibious Combat Vehicle 30mm program. The awarded sublots are part of a larger contract that holds the potential for up to 150 vehicle orders in the future, BAE officials said. 'The ACV is tested and proven to be incredibly adaptable – it not only swims, but it's also optimized for ship-to-shore, island-hopping and advanced land operations,' Rebecca McGrane, vice president of Amphibious programs at BAE Systems, said in a press release. With enhanced direct-fire lethality of 30mm cannons through a fully stabilized weapon system built by Kongsberg, the ACV-30 helps to ensure Marines are ready for any mission. With present and future orders from the government coming, Kongsberg announced expansion plans last September for its local production facility, Kongsberg Protech Systems USA, at the Johnstown Industrial Park in Richland Township. The increased ACV-30 production has resulted in a workforce expansion of up to 30 new employees – surpassing initial expectations for 20 new workers, Kongsberg Protech Systems USA Vice President Dave Zucco said last week. The addition is set to bring Kongsberg's Johnstown workforce to a total of about 250 employees, Zucco said. More work will be performed locally with parts supplied by long-term Johnstown supply partner, JWF Defense Systems, among other U.S. suppliers, he said. Kongsberg's expansion plans also includes a 10-year lease extension, as well as a $10 million investment for facility improvements and infrastructure upgrades – all directly tied to ACV-30 production. Kongsberg officials said the company would make an announcement this fall when the upgrades and renovations are completed. 'The increase in order volume for our ACV-30 Remote Turret System validates the Marine Corps' need for these vehicles and our weapon systems, as well as their commitment to provide the warfighter with the most advanced systems available in the market today,' Heather Armentrout, president of Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace Inc., said last Friday in an emailed statement. 'We are especially proud of our Johnstown workforce, which has continued to deliver time and time again, and their commitment to providing this leading-edge technology in support of our military.'
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
York County company awarded $188 million contract from U.S. Marine Corps
YORK, Pa. (WHTM) — The York County-based BEA Systems was recently awarded a $188 million contract from the U.S. Marine Corps. According to BEA Systems, the U.S. Marine Corps has awarded them a $188 million full-rate production contract for 30 ACV-30mm vehicles, which includes fielding support, spares, and test equipment. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now These ACV-30mm vehicles include an integrated medium-caliber Remote Turret System. The vehicle also enables the transport of troops, mission-essential equipment, and other payloads. 'The ACV is tested and proven to be incredibly adaptable – it not only swims, but it's also optimized for ship-to-shore, island-hopping, and advanced land operations,' Rebecca McGrane, vice president of Amphibious programs at BAE Systems, said. 'With enhanced direct-fire lethality via the 30mm fully stabilized weapon system, the ACV-30 helps to ensure Marines are ready for any mission, land or sea.' Additionally, BEA Systems says they are currently under contract for the ACV-Personnel (ACV-P) and ACV-Command (ACV-C). The company is also building three ACV-Recovery (ACV-R) variant Production Representative Test vehicles, which will provide field maintenance, recovery, and repair capabilities. Work on the CV-30mm vehicles will take place in York, Pa., Johnstown, Pa., and Charleston, S.C., through Q3 of 2026. abc27 news will keep you updated as more information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Marines want to add counter-drone weapon to amphibious vehicle
As final tests get underway for Amphibious Combat Vehicle variants sporting 30mm cannons and crane hooks, the Marine Corps is exploring how to incorporate another add-on: a counter-unmanned aerial systems capability. Col. Tim Hough, the Corps' program manager for advanced amphibious assault, speaking Tuesday at the Modern Day Marine expo in Washington, said the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has propelled counter-unmanned aerial systems, or counter-UAS, weaponry onto a priority list of add-on capabilities for the vehicle. 'What's kind of growing as everybody's been watching the fight in Ukraine over the past four years is that counter-UAS threat,' Hough said. 'It's no secret, and armored vehicles are a juicy target on the battlefield. And I don't think the ACV would be any different.' The form that counter-UAS capability might take hasn't yet been determined. Hough said the Corps was in the 'market research' phase of evaluating the need, and still developing a sense of 'what's in the realm of the possible.' 'Unlike any other armored platform on the battlefield, we have a unique requirement, and that's, we've got to push a 72,000-pound brick through the water upwards of 12 nautical miles,' he said. 'Every time we bolt on another capability, we've got to make sure we're not getting ahead of ourselves with the amount of weight we can put on the vehicle before we start limiting that water mobility.' Among possibilities under evaluation include a counter-UAS radar that's integrated with the vehicle's turret, Hough said, but 'it's wide open at this point.' Decision due soon about novel boats for seagoing Marine recon units The ACV is the Corps' first new amphibious vehicle in half a century, fielded to replace what Hough described as the service's 'armored Winnebago,' the Assault Amphibious Vehicle. But the ACV has already notched a unique Marine Corps milestone, Hough said, conducting a waterborne gunnery mission with its onboard Mk 19 40mm grenade machine guns last year during its first Pacific deployment. More armament is on the way. The ACV-30, with an integrated 30mm cannon that will allow the vehicle to destroy enemy armored vehicles, is set to reach initial operational capability, signifying readiness for combat, in 2026. The final ACV variant, one with an attached crane for repair and recovery missions, is set to follow in 2027. Operational testing for the ACV-30 kicked off earlier this year at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center in Maryland and Camp Pendleton, California; the vehicle is now undergoing cyber vulnerability testing, Hough said. As the ACV, following early mishaps including a 2020 vehicle sinking that caused the deaths of nine service members, now charts a more stable course, Hough said a number of market research requests will be published later this year into additional capabilities — like the counter-UAS weapon — that will help to modernize and add new capabilities. Other items on Hough's wish list include improvements to water maneuverability, responsiveness and speed; greater task automation for drivers; noise reduction; and improvements to situational awareness.
