05-05-2025
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.'
