Armored Vehicles

AAV Survivability Upgrade

Also known as
  • AAV-SU
  • AAV SU
  • Assault Amphibious Vehicle Survivability Upgrade
  • Amphibious Assault Vehicle Survivability Upgrade

The AAV Survivability Upgrade was a U.S. Marine Corps program to keep legacy Assault Amphibious Vehicles relevant by adding buoyant armor, blast protection, automotive improvements, and mobility changes to existing hulls. SAIC was the major contractor for the upgrade effort, which moved from prototype work into low-rate production before testing and acquisition concerns were overtaken by the Corps' decision to focus resources on the Amphibious Combat Vehicle.

AAV Survivability Upgrade, Assault Amphibious Vehicle modernization package, Armored Vehicles
Image source: AAV Survivability Upgrade (SU).jpg
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Built by
SAIC
Type
Assault Amphibious Vehicle modernization package
Service note
2015-2018 development and limited production activity
Designer
SAIC upgrade integration for U.S. Marine Corps PEO Land Systems
Designed
2010s
Produced
Prototype and low-rate production activity from 2015 to 2018
Number built
Ten prototype upgrades were contracted in 2015; 2017 LRIP funding covered 21 vehicles, and USNI reported four production-control models accepted or nearing acceptance when the program was canceled in 2018.

Specifications

Base platform
Legacy U.S. Marine Corps Assault Amphibious Vehicle hulls
Planned fleet scope
Marine Corps sources described a 392-vehicle objective in 2016; the DoD Inspector General later cited a 405-vehicle plan by fiscal 2023 with an estimated $835 million procurement cost
Protection upgrades
New external armor, added spall liner, underbelly protection, lower sidewall protection, integrated blast-mitigating seats, and improved or protected fuel tanks
Mobility upgrades
Powertrain, suspension, water-jet, and control-system improvements intended to preserve or improve land and water mobility despite added protection weight
Production decision
The program entered low-rate initial production in August 2017, with SAIC funded for 21 vehicles
Testing findings
DoD oversight found force-protection gains but unresolved cost-control, tactical-egress, and reliability concerns before additional production
Contractor role
DOT&E listed SAIC in McLean, Virginia, as the major contractor for the AAV-SU program
Program outcome
The Marine Corps canceled the AAV-SU effort in 2018 and shifted emphasis to the Amphibious Combat Vehicle
Variants

Public sources describe AAV-SU as a modernization of existing Marine Corps AAV hulls rather than a new clean-sheet vehicle.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
AAV-SU prototype and production-control vehiclesSurvivability and mobility upgrade package for legacy AAV hulls

SAIC's 2015 contract option covered initial upgrades to 10 prototypes, while the 2017 production decision funded 21 low-rate vehicles and 2018 reporting said four production-control models were accepted or nearing acceptance after cancellation.

Sources: SAIC AAV-SU contract option, USNI AAV-SU production contract, USNI AAV-SU cancellation report

Timeline

AAV Survivability Upgrade Key Events

  1. SAIC moves into prototype upgrade work

    SAIC announced Marine Corps contract options covering engineering, manufacturing, and development work and the first 10 AAV-SU prototype upgrades.

  2. Marine Corps demonstrates the upgraded AAV

    The Marine Corps displayed the AAV-SU at Quantico and described the package as buoyant armor, blast-mitigating seats, spall liners, fuel-tank protection, and automotive and suspension improvements for existing hulls.

  3. AAV-SU enters low-rate initial production

    PEO Land Systems signed the Milestone C decision, and the Marine Corps funded SAIC for 21 low-rate production vehicles.

  4. DoD IG flags production-entry risks

    The DoD Inspector General reported that AAV-SU had improved force protection but had not met all cost-control, tactical-egress, and reliability requirements before initial production began.

  5. Stop-work order precedes cancellation

    The Marine Corps issued a stop-work order to SAIC in late August 2018 before canceling the upgrade effort and shifting investment toward the Amphibious Combat Vehicle.

Upgrade Scope And Cancellation

The AAV-SU package was intended to bridge the gap between Cold War-era tracked AAVs and the incoming Amphibious Combat Vehicle. Marine Corps and oversight sources describe the upgrade as a survivability and mobility package for existing hulls rather than a new vehicle family.

Intended role

Improve force protection and keep amphibious assault lift available until ACV fielding.

Main additions

Buoyant armor, spall liners, blast-mitigating seats, fuel-tank protection, and automotive and suspension updates.

Program limit

The Marine Corps stopped the upgrade after LRIP activity and redirected modernization emphasis to ACV procurement.

Sources: Marine Corps demonstrates upgraded AAV; DODIG AAV-SU report; USNI AAV-SU cancellation report.

Media

AAV Survivability Upgrade Videos

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Sources

SAIC AAV-SU contract optionPublisher: PR Newswire / SAIC | Note: Supports SAIC's 2015 U.S. Marine Corps contract options for AAV prototype upgrades, Charleston work location, and planned protection, powertrain, suspension, water-jet, seating, and control-system improvements. | Accessed: 2026-07-13DOT&E FY2016 AAV-SU reportPublisher: Director, Operational Test and Evaluation | Note: Supports the AAV-SU mission, planned survivability and mobility changes, test status, fielding plan, and SAIC as the major contractor. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Marine Corps demonstrates upgraded AAVPublisher: United States Marine Corps | Note: Supports Marine Corps description of the AAV-SU as an upgrade to existing hulls with buoyant armor, blast-mitigating seats, spall liners, fuel-tank protection, and automotive and suspension upgrades. | Accessed: 2026-07-13USNI AAV-SU production contractPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports the August 2017 Milestone C decision, low-rate initial production start, and SAIC funding for 21 upgraded vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-07-13DODIG AAV-SU reportPublisher: Department of Defense Inspector General | Note: Supports the planned fleet scope, procurement-cost estimate, force-protection finding, and unresolved cost, egress, and reliability concerns before additional production. | Accessed: 2026-07-13DOT&E FY2017 AAV-SU reportPublisher: Director, Operational Test and Evaluation | Note: Supports live-fire test follow-up, vulnerability correction, and recommendations on troop-compartment egress and reliability-growth strategy. | Accessed: 2026-07-13AAV Survivability Upgrade (SU).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for the public-domain U.S. Marine Corps photograph of an AAV-SU at Marine Corps Base Quantico on March 15, 2016. | Accessed: 2026-07-13DVIDS AAV SUP videoPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Supports the official Marine Corps video selection and identifies the 2016 Quantico AAV-SU presentation as public-domain U.S. Marine Corps media. | Accessed: 2026-07-13USNI AAV-SU cancellation reportPublisher: USNI News | Note: Supports the 2018 cancellation of the AAV-SU effort with SAIC, the stop-work order, and the Marine Corps decision to focus resources on the Amphibious Combat Vehicle. | Accessed: 2026-07-13