US Army's AMPV armored fighting vehicle takes on drones

In a recent live-fire field test, BAE Systems' Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) prototype took out a small fleet of quadcopter drones in spectacular fashion using a Moog modular weapons system.

When BAE Systems delivered the first of its AMPVs to the US Army in 2020, it was doing more than supplying a replacement for the Cold War M113 fighting vehicle. It was also introducing a modular armored vehicle system that would allow the Army to quickly modify the AMPV for a wide variety of roles, from personnel carrier to mobile surgical operating theater.

One of these missions is to deal with small ground targets and drones.

In the exercise that included realistic battle scenarios at the Big Sandy range in Kingman, Arizona, the AMPV C-UAS prototype was equipped with a BAE Systems External Mission Equipment Package (ExMEP) top plate that can handle 30 different interchangeable turrets. Onto this was bolted a Moog Reconfigurable Integrated-Weapons Platform (RIwP), which is a modular weapon system that is part of the Army's Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) turret.

When assembled, the AMPV C-UAS carried Leonardo DRS’ Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radars (MHR) for 360-degree coverage, camera and sensor packages, associated command and control systems, stinger missiles, a machine gun, and a Northrop Grumman XM914 30mm cannon. However, this is just one of a number of possible configurations for multi-mission roles, anti-armor attack, and air defense.

For the tests, the vehicle was tasked with accurately detecting, tracking and identifying stationary and moving aerial and ground targets, then destroying or disabling them. It did so using the turret's slew-to-cue capability that allowed the sensors to tip off the cameras which way to point and then engage the target using 30mm proximity rounds to down drones with a satisfying "bang."

"From the earliest combat capability concept stage of the AMPV program, we intentionally designed a modular and flexible configuration to provide an adaptable and ready-for-growth platform for the war fighter," said Bill Sheehy, BAE Systems AMPV program director. "In just over one year, our successful collaboration with Moog on the C-UAS prototype showcased the art of the possible of what a rapid response from leading industry providers can drive. When it comes to setting the tone for future integration at a higher standard and better pace for Soldiers, this is just the beginning of what you’ll see from the AMPV."

The video below shows the APV C-UAS in action.

Source: BAE Systems