The US Marine Corps (USMC) has awarded a contract potentially worth up to $330m to Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace for the production of 30mm remote turrets for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle 30mm (ACV-30) programme.
The initial order from PEO Land Systems Program Manager Advanced Amphibious Assault (PM AAA) encompasses a “substantial” quantity of turrets, which will be manufactured at Kongsberg's facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
This site recently underwent an expansion, leading to job creation and the establishment of a dedicated medium calibre turret production line.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace president Eirik Lie said: “Kongsberg is honoured to support the US Marine Corps by equipping them with increased firepower and capacity.
“The ACV-30 offers superior performance compared to current comparable systems, and we see the market potential for our medium calibre turrets as positive, both in the US and internationally.”
The ACV-30 is one of four variants in BAE Systems' next-generation ACV family of vehicles.
It features Kongsberg’s MCT-30 turret system, which is stabilised and remotely operated, providing Marines with enhanced capabilities and protection.
The turret is designed to be vehicle agnostic, capable of integrating additional armour and various effectors such as anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM).
Kongsberg's Johnstown facility is responsible for manufacturing all remote weapon stations and turrets delivered to US customers.
The company has been the exclusive provider of these systems to the US military for two decades, with programmes including the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) RWS and the Commonly Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) for the US Army.
Since its opening in 2008, the Johnstown facility has produced over 20,000 remote weapon stations and turrets.
The latest contract follows a previous purchase of long-lead items intended to sustain production and delivery schedules for the ACV-30 programme.
Additionally, it includes options for further systems, with initial deliveries anticipated shortly.
This announcement builds upon a November 2024 contract for long-lead items valued at $51m, which marked the commencement of the ACV-30 project.
The value of the latest order stands at approximately $118m.
In May 2024, the USMC tested a new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) equipped with a Protector remote turret (RT-20) developed by Kongsberg.
