The winning design was from European defense firm BAE and it is a variant of an existing vehicle; the SuperAV 6x6 used by the Brazilian Army as the VBTP-MR Guarani. The ACV version is an 8x8 vehicle weighing 31.5 tons and carrying 13 marines plus 3 crew. Other modifications the marines required included amphibious capability the use of lighter modular composite armor including ceramics, and have features that make them equal, if not better at resisting mine and IED explosions than MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles using steel armor.
The ACV can travel over 20 miles through water to reach the shore. The Marines gave up the dream of being able to deploy 120 miles from the shores.
Armament is not mentioned. I don't know if the ACV is armed as an infantry fighting vehicle or as a personnel carrier. Past discussions have been about the more heavily armed former. But the Marines had to pull back from their expensive wish list on this vehicle to replace their very old AAV-7s.
It would be nice if the armed amphibious transport I advocated in Bring Back the Dragon Swarms could carry a complement of ACVs (could they be lowered and raised over the side of the ship?) to make landing troops more effective.
