An upgunned version of the Corps’ new amphibious combat vehicle will be armed with a lighter version of the Army’s Stryker 30mm cannon, according to Marine Corps Systems Command.
Ashley M. Calingo, a spokeswoman with MARCORSYSCOM, told Marine Corps Times in an emailed statement that BAE — the manufacturer of the ACV — had selected a version of the Kongsberg medium caliber turret, or MCT-30, for a variant of the new amphib vehicle.
“BAE has also informed the Marine Corps that the MCT-30 version for the Marine Corps will be a lighter weight version of the Stryker system and use the Mk44 gun which is common with US Navy applications instead of the XM813 gun used on Stryker,” Calingo said.
The MCT-30 — manufactured by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace — said in a news release that it would deliver up to 150 of the MCT-30 remote turret weapon systems as part of a “phased program.”
“The system provides highly accurate firepower for wheeled or tracked combat vehicles. It is remotely controlled and operated from a protected position inside the vehicle compartment for optimized crew safety,” Kongsberg said in a release.
The MCT-30 remote turret boasting the heavier XM813 30mm cannon is currently fielded on a Stryker variant known as the Infantry Carrier Vehicle – Dragoon.
Defense News reported in May 2019 that the Army had decided to equip its Double V-Hull A1 Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicles with a 30mm cannon following a review of lessons learned from 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Europe.
The double V-hull variant of the Stryker was manufactured due to the armored vehicle’s poor performance against roadside bombs.
In early 2019, the Corps announced it was looking at three variants of the ACV — a command and control configuration, a recovery and maintenance setup and ACVs with 30mm medium-caliber cannons.
Kongsberg said test article delivery of the MCT-30 turret for the ACV will kick off in early 2021.
BAE told Marine Corps Times that it evaluated five vendors for the ACV turret which included a live fire assessment with more than a dozen systems.
“Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace (KDA) offered the best balance between performance, meeting the unique integration requirements of a fully amphibious system, and schedule,” BAE said in an emailed statement to Marine Corps Times.
BAE said the MCT-30 turret selected for the ACV is a version of the 30mm gun on the Stryker.
“Significant modifications to the base design were necessary for integrating into a fully amphibious combat vehicle,” BAE said.
BAE said it would complete an initial integration phase next year and that initial production units are planned for 2023.
Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.
