Bill Good
The U.S. Army, in its continued dedication to modernizing its heavy brigade combat team (HBCT) vehicle fleet, has stood up a new product management office dedicated to fielding the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV).
At a ceremony in Warren, MI, June 14, LTC Doug Miller assumed the charter of Product Manager for the AMPV program within Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS). The AMPV will be a new family of vehicles designed to replace a portion of the Army’s M113 fleet.
“The AMPV will provide the Army heavy brigade combat team with improved maneuverability, force protection, and networking capability. We have recently brought together a fantastic group of individuals to stand up this office, and we are ready to move out and start working with industry to develop this capability for our Soldiers in the HBCTs,” Miller said.
Under the current plan, the AMPV will replace all M113s in formations at brigade level and below. A decision on the remaining M113s, in units above the brigade level, will be made at a later date. The AMPV family of vehicles will have five variants: general purpose, mortar carrier, medical evacuation, medical treatment, and mission command.
The U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center at Fort Leavenworth, KS, (TRAC Leavenworth) recently conducted an analysis of alternatives (AoA) for the M113 vehicle. After the AoA report is approved by the Office of the Secretary of Defense Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation, the Army will release to industry a request for proposal outlining the specific capabilities it is looking for. An industry day has been tentatively scheduled for September.
“The M113 has been and will be a longstanding member of our formations. However, as we look to the future and see the types of systems that will need to be incorporated on our vehicles, it has become evident that certain variants of the M113 needed more SWaP-C [size, weight, power, and cooling]. The AMPV program will address those needs and provide our Soldiers with a modern platform,” said COL William Sheehy, Project Manager HBCT.
The key premise for the Army’s AMPV revolves around additional SWaP-C. The current M113 has been in service for almost five decades and, although it has been upgraded over the years, it has reached its full potential on the modern battlefield. The new AMPV will not only incorporate all of the Army’s current systems but also additional SWaP-C to allow for future growth.
LTC Doug Miller, Product Manager for the newly created AMPV program, cuts the cake during the June 14 ceremony marking his assumption of charter. Alongside Miller are COL William Sheehy, Project Manager HBCT, and Deputy Program Executive Officer Ground Combat Systems Dr. Paul Rogers. (U.S. Army photo)
- BILL GOOD is a Public Affairs Specialist for PEO GCS. He holds a B.S. in broadcasting from Siena Heights University and an M.A in public relations and organizational communication from Wayne State University.
