BAE Systems has selected Kongsberg’s MCT-30 turret for use in its USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) programme. The company will deliver up to 150 turrets with test unit deliveries expected to commence in 2021.
The MCT-30 is the first remotely operated 30mm turret to be qualified and fielded in the US and provides highly accurate firepower for wheeled and tracked vehicles. It uses a link-less medium calibre cannon and has multi-user functions for a range of platforms.
Pål Bratlie, Executive VP for Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace, said: ‘The ACV-30 with Kongsberg’s MCT-30 turret signifies a powerful lethality capability for the Marine Corps, representative of a new era in US amphibious operations.’
The US Army previously ordered MCT-30s to increase lethality of its Stryker Brigade in Europe in 2015 and it became the main armament of the Dragoon (ICV-D) Strykers.
The new artillery and howitzer factory pre-dates the emphasis on this capability from this month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The first joint industry-government meeting outlined in the review took place this week.
Romania received its first Cobra MkII 4×4 light tactical armoured vehicles, ordered Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and VAMTAC light vehicles, and is set to invest billions-of-dollars in infantry fighting vehicles.
The Italian Army operates Pumas in 6×6 and 4×4 configurations but the platforms are ageing and numbers have fallen with obsolescence also being an issue. Any replacement is likely to have a focus on the involvement of local industry.
The VAMTAC (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico or High Mobility Tactical Vehicle) 4×4 by Urovesa is in service with or has been ordered by eight countries, the most recent being Spain this month and Romania last month.
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile with the solid rocket motor (SRM) provided by Northrop Grumman. The company is working to boost its SRM production capability.
The CV90 is in service with or ordered by ten countries. The agreement between six of these countries is designed to create commonality to provide economies of scale and a reduced training burden.
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