Textron Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems have both provided an update on the ongoing activities on the respective prototype ARV vehicles.

Both companies were awarded 2-year, $11-million contracts at the end of February 2024 for the development of ARV-30 prototypes, armed with the same remotely operated Kongsberg PROTECTOR RT-20 turret featuring a 30x173 mm cannon, as found on the BAE-Iveco Armored Combat Vehicle (ACV).

The Textron COTTONMOUTH is a 6x6 vehicle with a 37,000 lbs mass (circa 17 tons) which makes it particularly light and compact compared to the other contenders.

The General Dynamics entry is an 8x8, as is the much larger BAE ACV, which is also being considered as a potential solution. Textron Systems reports that Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and Critical Design Review (CDR) were completed for the ARV-30 prototype in June and September 2024 respectively, allowing work to begin on assembling the first prototype of the new variant.

General Dynamics also reported progress on its own design work: both companies will deliver their ARV-30 prototypes this year to the USMC for evaluation to begin. In the meanwhile work has continued on developing and validating the “Systems Integration Lab” SIL prototypes, which has the primary purpose of validating the integration of the Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4/I) systems and software, allowing the USMC to refine the electronic configuration for what will operationally be the C4UAS variant of the ARV, a vehicle combining command and control with drones operations.

Both Textron and General Dynamics delivered to the USMC prototype C4UAS vehicles back in December 2022, following the original selection of the 2 companies for the ARV competition in July 2021. When the USMC began its evaluations, in February 2023, it also took delivery of a third prototype, a suitably configured BAE Systems ACV. Using the ACV as base would mean using a much larger and conspicuous vehicle, heavier and taller, but would also standardize the whole armored fleet of the USMC on a single main type with obvious logistic advantages.

Textron, on the other hand, underlines that 4 of the compact COTTONMOUTHs can fit a single LCAC/Ship to Shore Connector (see picture).

Ongoing work on the SIL laboratories will be fundamental to decide the combination of sensors, internal electronics and software that will be the core of the ARV family. General Dynamics says in its update that it will deliver a second SIL prototype later this year. The ARV plans of the USMC are still subject to change and evolution, both in numbers and variants.

Then Commander of the USMC, General David Berger, notoriously threw the most notable shade at the evolving ARV concepts in its March 2020 Force Design Initiative, writing “I remain unconvinced that additional wheeled, manned armored ground reconnaissance units are the best and only answer – especially in the Indo-Pacific region.”

While an armored, amphibious vehicle will certainly remain a requirement, it might not be the main “protagonist” of the recce operations, and the Mobile Reconnaissance battalions of the future might still evolve in new directions, with a potential impact on the provisional assumption that 12 ARV companies will be formed.

A number of variants have been envisioned for the ARV: the already mentioned, turretless C4UAS variant. With a crew of 2 and 5 specialists, it provides networked command and control plus long range recce with organic Group 2-type drones and mast-mounted sensors for long range surveillance. The ARV-30 is expected to have a crew of 3 and carry 4 dismount scouts / drone operators. It should have a JAVELIN missile capability as well, as a threshold capability, with a longer range, Beyond Line of Sight-capable anti-tank missile as longer term target.

A dedicate “fire support” ARV-OPF variant with a crew of 2+2 is envisaged, armed with 4 to 8 ready-to-launch missiles and/or loitering munitions for strikes / overwatch on ranges of 40 km in the littoral environment. Another 8-12 rounds should be stowed inside.

A dedicated ARV-C-UAS (2+4) variant fitted with kinetic and electronic defeat systems with a range of 10 km has also been envisaged, to provide counter-drone capability. An ARV-Log (2+3) variant with reconfigurable spaces would deliver medical evacuation and transport of stores and drones, including in support of the ARV-OPF variant.

Finally, there should be a dedicated ARV-Recovery variant.

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