Combat Vehicle 21 Series

The Medium Armored Vehicle program, officially type-classified as the Combat Vehicle 21 series of Armored Fighting Vehicles in April 2002, is family of tracked armored fighting vehicles intended to replace the M113 series of light armored fighting vehicles in mechanized divisions, as well as replace the M2 IFV. The vehicles were designed to fill all of the roles once filled by the M113 as well as the roles filled by the M2 and M3 series AFVs, including Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Armored Personnel Carrier, Tank Destroyer, Command Vehicle, Short Range Air Defense with guns or missiles, Cavalry Reconnaissance Vehicle, and Armored Mortar Carrier. There are also plans to include a fire support vehicle and electronic warfare vehicle. The vehicles were designed by Manticoran Defense Limited Land Systems and are produced by the same company.

History
Like many of the Army's modernization programs, the Medium Armored Vehicle Program was born out of a need to replace the M113 and supplement the M2 and M3 armored vehicles. The project began in 1983, with prototypes arriving in 1986. Testing continued into 1991, when the program was rolled into the MINM Program. The needs of the new program resulted in deployment being delayed as the vehicles were redesigned to incorporate additional C4I technology as well as an external ATGM launcher.