Just one year after contract award, the Army’s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) quietly passed an important development milestone earlier this month, another deliberate step in the no-drama program to replace the Vietnam-era M113 personnel carrier.

Manufacturer BAE Systems has three new-build AMPV hulls on its weld line at the company’s York, Pa., facility, a spokesperson told Defense Daily. It will produce 29 vehicles that will undergo engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) testing. The first hull started down the weld line in May.

BAE Systems' Armored Multipurpose Vehicle (AMPV)
BAE Systems’ Armored Multipurpose Vehicle (AMPV)

BAE’s vehicle is based on the chassis of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle and some will use refurbished Bradley hulls. The hulls being welded now are being built from scratch.

The AMPV program on June 23 successfully completed its critical design review (CDR), which established the vehicle concept and design is stable enough to enter production for the EMD phase of the program, according to Ashley Givens, a spokeswoman for the Army’s Ground Combat Systems program office. 

The CDR provides an in-depth assessment, by a government team of experts, managers and Army users, that the final design for AMPV  and the development program is technically realistic and achievable.

“The program office expects closure of all action items from the CDR by the end of July,” Givens said in an email to Defense Daily. “The program is executing on schedule, and within its performance and cost parameters.”

AMPV is the Army’s largest active acquisition program. The service plans to buy 2,907 vehicles to replace its M113 fleet, which have been in use since the Vietnam War. BAE in 2014 won an initial $382 million EMD contract for its offering. The entire program is estimated to be worth more than $10 billion.

Correction: The number of AMPVs being built for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) program phase was originally misstated. BAE Systems will build 29 vehicles for EMD.