“BAE Systems Unveils Groundbreaking Turreted Mortar Prototype for the U.S. Army’s Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle”

The prototype features a freshly crafted top plate system—the External Mission Equipment Package (ExMEP)—which facilitates the straightforward installation of various turrets. This automotive prototype is also equipped with the Patria NEMO remote-operated 120mm turreted mortar system.

Born from a swift collaborative technological investment initiative involving the U.S. Army, BAE Systems, and KONGSBERG/Patria, this prototype showcases the prospective variant expansion for the versatile AMPV vehicle family. Utilizing a deployed and fully-certified asset like the AMPV chassis, it offers the Army options to deploy combat capabilities—such as the Patria NEMO—at an accelerated pace and lower expense for the Soldiers requiring them.

 “Delivering this exceptional capability to the Army for assessment represents a significant advancement in generating broader multi-functional choices for Soldiers to retain combat superiority on the battlefield,” stated Bill Sheehy, BAE Systems AMPV program director. “The AMPV Turreted Mortar prototype originated from a capability dialogue we engaged in with the Army in 2022—the same year ExMEP was envisioned with our industry partners, and we eagerly anticipate its evaluation. This collaborative and future-oriented strategy for development will greatly benefit the warfighter, which is the very essence of the AMPV program.”

The AMPV Turreted Mortar prototype that capitalizes on BAE Systems’ ExMEP to efficiently incorporate the NEMO 120mm mortar system serves as both an indirect and direct fire support platform suitable for multi-mission environments. This system allows for Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact fire missions, enabling up to five mortar rounds to strike targets simultaneously in under four seconds while the vehicle remains stationary or in motion.

The AMPV Mortar Carrier variant, one of five types currently being manufactured for the Army, incorporates the legacy 120mm mortar system. This innovative AMPV Turreted Mortar prototype provides a major enhancement, allowing for not only augmented capabilities and force protection but also ensuring Soldiers remain fully shielded under the armor coverage of the vehicle.

In the upcoming months, the Army will conduct thorough field assessments of the AMPV Turreted Mortar prototype to evaluate its capabilities based on what Soldiers would need on the combat front.

This marks the second turreted AMPV prototype demonstrated by BAE Systems in the last three months, the previous one being a Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) capability that utilizes the ExMEP top plate. As the future of warfare progresses, the specialized design of the AMPV platform highlights limitless possibilities for seamless integration of capabilities for the Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Team.