USMC leads up to EMD decision for recce vehicle

General Dynamics submitted one ARV prototype to the USMC for testing in 2023. (General Dynamics Land Systems )

The US Marine Corps (USMC) is planning to select one to two companies for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the advanced reconnaissance vehicle (ARV) programme, a USMC official in charge of ground combat told Janes .

Testing for the ARV ended in November 2023 following trials on a platform command, control, communications, and computers/unmanned aircraft system (C4/UAS) prototype, blast hull, and system integration lab for survivability, swim testing, mine strikes, and improvised explosive device (IED) simulations. The initial competitors have been cut down to Textron and General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) because of the elimination of BAE Systems in 2023, the Deputy Director for fires and manoeuvre in the Ground Combat Element division, Kevin McConnell, told Janes on 18 January.

The USMC is still unsure of the path forward for ARVs, McConnell said. It could be delayed given all the other priorities the service has to deal with in its budget for the Program Objective Memorandum 2026, he said in an interview. This budgeting cycle will end planning activities in the next few months after an industry day for ARV in February 2024.

Although they did decide that BAE System's Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) tricked out with C4/UAS equipment would no longer work, officials are still deciding how big of a role the ARV will have in its Mobile Reconnaissance Battalion (MRB), a new formation coming out of Force Design 2030.