Upgrades to U.S. Marine Corps Assault Amphibious Vehicles are to be performed by Science Applications International Corporation.

Under the contract from the Marine's Program Executive Office -- Land Systems, the company will engineer, design and test upgrades to 10 prototype and 52 low-rate initial production vehicles for the Legacy Assault Amphibious Vehicle Personnel Carrier Variant Platform program.

The multiple-award, firm fixed-price contract has a performance period of 10 months and an initial contract value of $16 million to perform its work through the preliminary and critical design review phase. Options for prototype vehicle building and testing and low-rate initial production could be exercised, which would increase the contract value over a five-year period to more than $192 million.

"SAIC's approach builds upon its successful support to similar vehicles, such as the AAVC7 and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected class of combat vehicles," said Tom Watson, senior vice president and general manager of the company's Navy and Marine Corps Customer Group. "SAIC's past performance demonstrates its ability to adhere to schedule, improve existing vehicles from assembly to integration and test, and still reduce risk and cost."

The aim of the Marines' program is to improve vehicle protection and water and land mobility.