Textron Systems has won a pre-production development agreement for the US Marine Corps’ (USMC) Cottonmouth Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV).
The $450-million deal covers 16 pre-production vehicles in three variants — the C4UAS, 30mm, and Logistics — designed to support the USMC’s Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations framework.
The contract also includes three systems integration labs and four blast hulls.
Following delivery, the vehicles will undergo government-led testing to validate performance and verify program requirements.
Cottonmouth Vehicles
Cottonmouth began as a clean-sheet design in 2019 and features a modular open systems architecture, according to David Phillips, Senior Vice President of Air, Land and Sea Systems.
The vehicles are built at Textron’s manufacturing facility in Slidell, Louisiana, with engineering and design conducted at its Hunt Valley, Maryland, site.
The C4UAS variant serves as the crewed platform base for robotic and autonomous systems integration, while the 30mm configuration delivers direct fire support and anti-armor capability.
Meanwhile, the Logistics version will be used for field supply and support.
The USMC has already received C4UAS and 30mm vehicles, along with systems integration labs, for prior testing and evaluation.
“The Cottonmouth vehicle is poised to transform the Marine Corps’ reconnaissance missions with adaptability, mobility, and as a battlefield quarterback for the USMC,” Phillips added.
USMC ARV
The announcement coincides with the USMC awarding a second rapid prototyping phase to Textron and General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS).
Textron and GDLS are the primary competitors for the ARV program, which aims to deliver a purpose-built family of vehicles to replace the USMC’s Light Armored Vehicle fleet. Initial prototype awards were granted in July 2021.
The program is aligned with the USMC’s Force Design 2030 modernization plan, which shifts the service from land-based counterinsurgency to naval expeditionary operations against peer adversaries in the Indo-Pacific.
Deliveries are expected by FY 2028, followed by a production decision in FY 2031.
