BAE Systems has delivered a first-in-its-kind Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) Turreted Mortar prototype to the U.S. Army. The prototype showcases a newly designed top plate system—the External Mission Equipment Package (ExMEP)—that allows for the easy installation of a variety of turrets. This vehicle prototype is also outfitted with the Patria NEMO remote-controlled 120mm turreted mortar system.
Handing this remarkable capability over to the Army for evaluation is an important step in creating broader multi-purpose options for Soldiers to maintain combat overmatch on the battlefield.
The AMPV Turreted Mortar prototype was born from a capability discussion we had with the Army in 2022—the same year ExMEP was conceptualized with industry partners, and we look forward to its evaluation. The collaborative, future-driven approach to develop it will benefit the warfighter, and that is what the AMPV program is all about.
Bill Sheehy, BAE Systems AMPV program director
The AMPV Turreted Mortar prototype that leverages BAE Systems’ ExMEP to rapidly integrate the NEMO 120mm mortar system is an indirect and direct fire support platform that can be used in multi-mission scenarios. The system enables Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact fire missions where up to 5 mortar rounds can hit targets simultaneously in less than 4 seconds while the vehicle is stationary or on the move.
The AMPV Mortar Carrier variant, which is one of the five variants currently in production with the Army, is comprised of the legacy 120mm mortar system. This new AMPV Turreted Mortar prototype offers a significant enhancement that would not only allow for increased capabilities and force protection, but also keep Soldiers completely under the armor protection provided by the vehicle.
Over the next several months, the Army will run the AMPV Turreted Mortar prototype through rigorous field evaluations to mark its capabilities against what Soldiers would require in the battlefield.
Source: BAE Systems news release