Marine Corps contracts for BAE Systems

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ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 24 (UPI) -- BAE Systems has announced $3.75 million in U.S. Marine Corps contracts for trade study and evaluation of AAVs and MPCs.

The work will include improvements to the amphibious armored vehicles and delivering Marine personnel carrier sample vehicles and hulls to be used for demonstrations of water mobility and blast protection.

"BAE Systems has worked successfully with the U.S. Marine Corps for more than 70 years and we're proud to continue being a part of programs that will revolutionize the amphibious fleet," said Ann Hoholick, vice president and general manager of Amphibious and New Programs for BAE Systems.

"It is our goal to design a family of systems that incorporates low-risk, mature technologies that are scalable to align with emerging requirements and funding."

The first award -- worth $250,000 -- is to study AAVs and propose improvements to its protection for troops maintaining its current land and water mobility characteristics. BAE said that as part of the award it will determine "if an affordable development and production unit cost can be realized" under a production schedule for 43 upgraded vehicles to be fielded in 2017.

A Marine Corps Request for Proposal for full AAV upgrade development will follow completion of the study.

Under the second contract, worth $3.5 million, BAE will support evaluation of MPCs for water performance, human factors, stowage capacity and survivability, with an eye toward future production of the 8x8 wheeled vehicles.