BAE Systems Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) Testbed Vehicle Arrives

The Armor & Cavalry Collection is excited to unveil our most recent arrival to the Tankodrome: the BAE Systems Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) testbed vehicle.

The U.S. Army's MPF program started in 2015 with the objective to field an armored fighting vehicle capable of providing direct fire support to lighter, non-armored maneuver units. In 2018, BAE and General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) were selected as finalists for the competition, and the Army ordered 12 testbed vehicles from each company. After Limited User Testing at Fort Bragg in 2021 through 2022, the GDLS MPF design was selected for production and fielding.

The organization that oversees the MPF Program, Program Executive Office-Ground Combat Systems (PEO-GCS), felt the BAE MPF design had many unique features and coordinated with the Collection to preserve one of the twelve testbeds for historic and research purposes. For the Collection, preserving an example of this vehicle is very important as it started life in the late-1980s as FMC/United Defenses Industries' Close Combat Vehicle Light before being selected as the 1990s Armored Gun System (AGS) designated to replace the M551 Sheridan. Defense cuts caused the AGS program to be canceled, but the design was upgraded and modified by BAE (who acquired United Defense in 2005) for the MPF competition. As such, this vehicle will help teach armored vehicle development from over the last 30 years.

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