Kongsberg’s Protector RT20 remote turret has been installed on a representative test vehicle for the US Marine Corps’ Amphibious Combat Vehicle 30mm Cannon (ACV-30).
The company collaborated with ACV contractor BAE Systems to supply the vehicles with a turret system that “provides the lethality and protection Marines need while leaving ample room for troop capacity and payload.”
The RT20 is said to eliminate the space requirements of older turreted cannon systems, adding more room for troops and equipment while reducing weight for increased mobility.
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Land Systems Vice President Jørgen Bull explained that the collaboration provides necessary upgrades in the force’s firepower, vehicles, and weapon systems.
“The modularity and digitalization of the system has growth potential to incorporate new technologies to deter and defeat future threats,” he added.
The ACV-30 variant program is scheduled for completion by July 2025. The first 30 units were delivered to the Marine Corps in February.
Defending Both Land and Sea
The ACV was developed to provide the Marines with a true open-ocean and ship-to-objective capability for land and sea missions.
Its personnel (ACV-P), command (ACV-C), and recovery (ACV-R) variants employ modular capabilities to focus on specific operations, supported by an M2 .50-caliber machine gun in a remote weapon station.
The vehicles currently supplement the force’s Assault Amphibious Vehicle fleet, in service since 1972. The Marine Corps has announced that the older vehicles will eventually be phased out in favor of the ACVs.