Army selects Anniston to prepare AMPVs for final shipment

The Army is sending Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles to Anniston Army Depot, AL, to get them ready for delivery to the first unit, the service announced today.

The service looked at a total of nine potential sites "for the initial comparative analysis based on market research," according to a press release.

The Army conducted "a detailed business case analysis" on four sites that had adequate space: Camp Shelby in Mississippi, Ft. Bliss in Texas, Ft. Carson in Colorado and Anniston, which ultimately proved to be the best choice, the release states.

The service will now conduct "de-processing" for the AMPV, which is when "combat vehicles are sent from the production facility to a dedicated location to complete any required updates and stage vehicles for final shipment to a unit," Maj. Gen. Brian Cummings, program executive officer for ground combat systems, said in a statement.

The AMPV, built by BAE Systems, received milestone C approval in December and is in low-rate initial production. The new vehicles will replace the M113 armored personnel carrier.

BAE is on track to deliver the first 457 of 2,897 AMPVs, with initial vehicle delivery planned for this summer, according to the Army.

The delivery will be later than the previously expected March timeframe, which already reflected a two-month delay from the original schedule.

Army spokeswoman Ashley John told Inside Defense today the delay is not due to the ongoing pandemic but rather "production line start-up challenges" at BAE's York, PA, production facility.

These challenges were noted in Director of Operational Test and Evaluation Robert Behler's annual report dated Dec. 20, 2019, which forecasted the original delay. BAE has since corrected the issues with its production line.

"Any impacts to the test schedule and fielding plans have been mitigated at this time," John said. "The program office and BAE are working closely to address and mitigate any schedule issues that could arise from COVID-19."