The Bae systems Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) is now undergoing rigorous testing at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.
A post from the Yuma Proving Ground’s official Twitter account has revealed that AMPVs are undergoing reliability, availability, and maintainability testing at YPG, with each running simulated missions across road courses featuring various terrain conditions, from paved to gravel to punishing desert washboard.
As they traverse these courses, test vehicle operators continually verify performance of all the platform’s sophisticated electronics.
YPG supports the testing with a wide variety of personnel, from weapons operators and observers to high speed camera operators, data collectors, and conditioning chamber personnel.
The Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team also twitted: “AMPV — Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles — will bring new levels of Soldier protection, reliability and speed to our formations. Not fancy — just TOUGH!”
The AMPC is the Army’s newest tracked vehicle designed to replace 5 variants of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier family of vehicles, which have been in service since the Vietnam-era.
The AMPV’s five variants—a general purpose vehicle, mission command vehicle, mortar carrier, and medical evacuation and medical treatment vehicles– have nearly 80% more interior volume than the M113, and significantly more power, survivability, and maneuverability. The cooling and electrical systems are also significantly more robust to accommodate both existing and future upgrades. It boasts the same powertrain and suspension system as the Bradley and M109A7 self-propelled howitzer, which eases maintenance and logistics challenges for all three vehicles in the field.
BAE Systems is currently in low-rate production for the AMPV program and has delivered at least one of each of the five variants designed for the family of vehicles.