The Army’s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV)
Updated March 15, 2024
The Army’s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV)
Background
The M1287 Mortar Carrier (MC) variant
The Army describes the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle
provides immediate, responsive, heavy mortar fire
(AMPV) in a March 14, 2023, press release as follows:
support to the ABCT in the conduct of fast-paced
offensive operations by utilizing the M-121 Mortar
[The] AMPV is the replacement for the M-113
System and M-95 Mortar Fire Control System. The
Family of Vehicles within the Armored Brigade
MC variant accommodates four soldiers—one
Combat Team (ABCT), comprising approximately
30 percent of its tracked vehicle fleet. The Army’s
vehicle
crewmember
and
three
mortar
worldwide fleet of AMPVs will include nearly
crewmembers.
3,000 vehicles delivered within the next 20 years.
Figure 1. The Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle
There are five planned AMPV variants:
(AMPV) General Purpose Variant
The M1283 General Purpose (GP) variant
(Figure 1) provides protected maneuver for soldiers
alongside ABCT combat vehicles during tactical
operations and provides support to the infantry
squad during mounted/dismounted assault during
tactical operations. The GP variant accommodates
two crew and four soldiers and is reconfigurable to
carry one litter.
The M1284 Medical Evacuation variant supports
the ABCT integration of medical support and
casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) as an integrated
part of the networked combat forward formation,
Source: United States Army Acquisition Support Center,
https://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/gcs-ampv/, accessed January
enhancing the organic medics who ride with and
18, 2021.
accompany cavalry units during mounted and
dismounted operations. Crew capacity is for three
Program Status
crewmembers,
and
a
reconfigurable
crew
The AMPV is produced by BAE Systems in York, PA. On
compartment that accommodates four litter
January 25, 2019, the AMPV entered the low-rate initial
casualties, six ambulatory (sitting) casualties, or a
production phase (LRIP). The Army originally planned for
combination of two litter and three ambulatory
acquiring a total of 2,907 AMPVs, with initial vehicle
casualties.
delivery in 2020. The AMPV program plans to replace
2,897 M-113 vehicles at the brigade and below level within
The M1285 Medical Treatment (MT) variant
the ABCT. There are an additional 1,922 M-113s
integrates advanced medical treatment in a mobile
supporting non-ABCT affiliated units (referred to as
surgery suite to the ABCT. The MT hosts four
Echelons Above Brigade [EAB] units) that are currently not
crewmembers, which includes a medic and
included in the Army’s modernization plan.
Physician Assistant or Unit Surgeon, and a
treatment table that can serve to carry one litter
patient. The vehicle also hosts the capability for
Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) is a programmatic
onboard medical equipment for casualty care.
decision made when manufacturing development is completed
and there is an ability to produce a small-quantity set of
The M1286 Mission Command (MCmd) variant
articles. It also establishes an initial production base and sets
is the cornerstone of the Army’s ABCT Network
the stage for a gradual increase in the production rate to
Modernization Strategy. It takes advantage of
allow for Ful -Rate Production (FRP) upon completion of
increased size, weight, power, and cooling and
Operational Test and Evaluation (OT&E).
provides a significant increase in Command,
Full-Rate Production (FRP) is a decision made that allows
Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber,
for government contracting for economic production
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
quantities fol owing stabilization of the system design and
capability. The variant accommodates two
validation of the production process.
crewmembers, and three workstation operators, and
its hosted network provides full Tactical Command
Post capabilities at brigade and battalion levels.
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The Army’s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV)
Testing Deficiencies and Production Problems
FY2025 AMPV Budgetary Information
During a limited user test (LUT) in FY2019, the
Department of Defense (DOD) Director of Operational Test
Table 1. FY2025 AMPV Budget Request
and Evaluation (DOT&E) and the Army Test and
Total
Evaluation Command (ATEC) identified 24 items while
Funding
Total Request
Request
testing prototype AMPVs that BAE needed to correct and
Category
($M)
(Qty.)
have evaluated during the Initial Operational Test and
RDT&E
$12.3
—
Evaluation (IOT&E) by the end of 2021. Reportedly, due to
Procurement
$515.3
81
BAE production challenges and effects of the Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, BAE did not meet
TOTAL
$527.6
81
the July 2020 first vehicle delivery date and was six to eight
Source: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
months behind the original schedule to deliver vehicles to
(Comptrol er)/Chief Financial Officer, Program Acquisition Cost by
support AMPV IOT&E and live-fire test events. BAE
Weapon System: United States Department of Defense Fiscal Year
reportedly delivered its first LRIP AMPV to the Army on
2025 Budget Request, March 2024, p. 3-4.
August 31, 2020. AMPV Reaches Low-Rate Initial
Notes: RDT&E = Research, Development, Test and Evaluation;
Production Rates
$M = U.S. dollars in mil ions; Qty. = FY2025 procurement quantities.
In October 2021, it was reported that monthly AMPV
According to DOD’s FY2025 Program Acquisition Cost by
production had reached contracted LRIP levels and early
Weapon System, the FY2025 AMPV budget request is
manufacturing troubles had subsided. Because of previous
intended to fund the third order of Full-Rate Production
delays, total AMPV production remained behind schedule,
(FRP) with the procurement of 81 vehicles.
but BAE had planned to achieve full-rate production by the
end of FY2022.
Considerations for Congress
Oversight questions Congress could consider include the
AMPVs Delivered to First Army Unit
following:
According to a March 14, 2023, Army press release, the
first AMPVs were delivered to the 1st Armored Brigade
M-113s Provided to Ukraine and Future
Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, stationed at Fort
AMPV Backfills
Stewart, GA, on March 13, 2023. The Army noted that this
According to a March 12, 2024, DOD fact sheet on U.S.
was the completion of that unit’s AMPV fielding.
Security Assistance to Ukraine, 300 M-113s and 300
armored medical treatment vehicles (likely M-113 variants)
Army Awards Full-Rate Production Contract
have been pledged to Ukraine. Reportedly, the majority of
On September 1, 2023, the Army announced the award of
M-113s have been taken from the Army National Guard. It
the AMPV full-rate production contract to BAE. The total
is not known if the Biden Administration will include
award value for the initial vehicle order was $797 million,
additional M-113s in future Ukraine military aid packages.
with additional options, for a potential total contract value
Reportedly, the Army plans to replace M-113s transferred
of $1.6 billion.
to Ukraine with AMPVs on a one-to-one basis. If this
continues to be the Army’s objective, Congress might
AMPV Annual Production Rate
decide to review the Army’s plans to backfill Army
Reportedly, by FY2024, AMPV production rates are
National Guard ABCTs with AMPVs and if current
planned to increase to 131 vehicles per year and to continue
National Guard AMPV shortages attributed to these
at that level until at least FY2027. Earlier AMPV program
transfers have resulted in Army National Guard ABCT
planning documents issued before the 2020 production
readiness issues.
delay had reportedly called for an annual production rate of
190 AMPVs per year by FY2024. Supposedly, reduced
Updated AMPV Program Plans
production rates and increased commodity prices have
As previously noted, the 2020 AMPV production delay
contributed to higher unit costs per vehicle. Unit price
reportedly resulted in increased per vehicle costs and
increases reportedly have also been attributed to strong
slower-than-planned-for annual production quantities. If
inflationary pressures on commodity prices, reusable parts
approved AMPV acquisition quantities remain at 2,897
supply expended from vehicles during LRIP, and
vehicles, there could be cost implications resulting from
purchasing AMPVs at lower production rates.
higher per-vehicle costs as well as a longer production and
fielding timeline needed to equip Active and Army National
Army Orders Additional AMPVs
Guard ABCTs. In addition, possible accelerated AMPV
Reportedly, on March 13, 2024, the Army ordered an
production to backfill M-113s provided to Ukraine could
additional $754.3 million worth of AMPVs from BAE. The
have an appreciable impact on the Army’s current AMPV
number of AMPVs to be produced was unspecified, but the
production and fielding plans. Given these considerations,
estimated delivery date was set for February 2027.
Congress might decide to review the Army’s current
AMPV program plans to determine if an update is required.
Andrew Feickert, Specialist in Military Ground Forces
IF11741
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The Army’s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV)
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11741 · VERSION 11 · UPDATED