OREANDA-NEWS. December 28, 2015. The vehicles, which will be the Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability/Rebuild to Standard (RAM/RS) variant, will significantly enhance the current capabilities of the Brazilian Marine Corps.

“These new vehicles will have major capability enhancements, which will give the Brazilian military an amphibious vehicle with improved speed and reliability beyond the current configuration,” said Deepak Bazaz, director of new and amphibious vehicles at BAE Systems. “We have a strong track record of supporting the Brazilian military and will continue that close working relationship throughout this program.”

Under the terms of the contract, BAE Systems will provide 23 AAV7A1 RAM/RS vehicles and supply all tools and test equipment to support vehicle maintenance. The company will also provide an initial sustainment capability to the Brazilian Marine Corps to include spare parts and field service support, as well as training for the vehicle users.

The AAV7A1 RAM/RS variant provides a more powerful engine and drive train, as well as an upgraded suspension system, allowing the vehicles to meet or exceed original AAV7A1 performance requirements. The RAM/RS variant also provides improved mobility and repair capabilities while transporting troops and cargo from ships.

Work on the contract will take place at BAE Systems’ York, Pennsylvania facility. Production is anticipated to start in June with vehicle deliveries beginning in February 2017. Final delivery to Brazil is expected to take place by the end of 2017, when the training and support for these vehicles will begin.

“BAE Systems has served the Brazilian military for more than 15 years and is also working on other vehicle enhancement programs here, such as the Brazilian Army’s upgrade of its M113B vehicles to the M113A2 Mk1 configuration,” said Marco Caffe, the company’s general manager for Brazil. “In the fall of 2015, we completed our 150th M113 upgrade.”