Three tunnels form part of the complex under the city
The tunnel runs right under a European city.
A European city has an extensive network of tunnels beneath it. The Blanka Tunnel Complex is the longest city tunnel in Europe and runs for a total length of 5,502 meters.
The tunnel sits under Prague and is the longest road tunnel in the Czech Republic. It connects the area west of Prague Castle with the Trója district in the North-east of the city.
Three tunnels, consisting of the Bubenečský, Dejvický, and Brusnický, make up the complex, which was designed to relieve heavy traffic from the history city centre. In its first 49 months since opening, it was used by 139 million cars.
Today, it is estimated that 88,000 vehicles use the tunnel every day. The Blanka Tunnel Complex opened on September 19, 2015, but it was a long time coming.
Construction launched in 2006, but it was planned since 1993. The tunnel was due to open in 2011, but the biggest and most expensive project in Prague was delayed by four years.
It cost 43 billion crowns, which is £1.5 billion today and doesn’t include all construction costs. During the construction of the tunnel complex, there were three landfalls.
The incident occurred twice in the Stromovka park, creating a hole measuring 15 to 25 meters. Another landfall happened in the garden area of the Ministry of Culture in Hradčany.
Since opening, the Blanka Tunnel Complex has undergone continuous maintenance. There is 24/7 monitoring by a dedicated control centre that works night shifts to service lights, ventilation systems, cabling and drainage.
Last year, the tunnel marked its 10th anniversary. Prague Daily News said: “It relieved congestion in the city centre, reduced journey times, and took vehicle traffic underground.
“Since its opening, around 780 million vehicles have passed through the tunnel.
“The Dejvický Tunnel has borne the greatest load with more than 271 million vehicles, followed by the Brusnický Tunnel with almost 266 million and the Bubenečský Tunnel with 236 million vehicles.
“Although Blanka has been in regular operation for years, the approval process for part of the project is still not fully concluded.
“A formal decision by the Administrative Court has meant that the relevant section continues to operate only under provisional use.
“Observers, however, expect a final acceptance soon.”
If you’re heading off on a staycation or a day trip this summer, beware of hidden costs on UK toll roads
This is the UK’s most expensive motorway(Image: georgeclerk via Getty Images)
Those setting off on a staycation or enjoyable day out should bear in mind that their journey might come with some unexpected expenses. There are multiple toll roads scattered across the UK, with some potentially costing over £15 for a return journey.
Branded the UK’s priciest motorway, the M6 in the Midlands, which stretches over 230 miles, can set drivers back more than £10 for a return trip – while not a massive sum, it could quickly chip away at your lunch money or similar. The M6 Toll, the 27-mile route between Cannock and Coleshill, cost £900million to build.
Discussing the M6, they note that for a standard family car, a return journey runs to approximately £10.50.
Meanwhile, those behind the wheel of a heavy goods vehicle could face a bill of £20.20 for just a single journey, while a motorhome costs £19.20 one-way.
The M6 connects drivers to major tourist destinations during the summer months, including Drayton Manor Resort, and reportedly saw 45,749 vehicles per day in 2025.
Spencer Davi, Sales and Marketing Director at Northgate Vehicle Hire, offered some insight on toll roads: “Toll charges are a real consideration, especially for those making regular cross-border trips.
“What surprised us most about this research is how much variation there is across roads within the UK.”
However, while the M6 may hold the title of the most expensive motorway and toll road, experts have warned that there is another UK route that will set drivers back considerably more.
Specialists at Northgate Vehicle Hire revealed that the London Congestion Charge is in fact the UK’s most expensive crossing for cars.
Costing drivers £15.00, the crossing is a key route for anyone planning a trip to the capital this summer, with the charge applicable to drivers entering the Congestion Charge Zone between 7am – 6pm Monday to Friday, and 12pm to 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and bank holidays.
The UK’s most expensive toll roads for cars
London Congestion Charge, London – £15.00
M6, Midlands – £10.50
Durham Road User Charge Zone, Durham – £5
Mersey Tunnels – Queensway: Liverpool – Birkenhead and Mersey Tunnels – Kingsway: Liverpool – Wallasey – £4.60
For those considering a staycation this year, it’s well worth doing your homework on your route beforehand, as some roads can come with a surprisingly hefty price tag.
In a new update two massive walkouts are planned – with passengers to two European countries hit
15:44, 27 May 2026Updated 16:09, 27 May 2026
Passengers are set to be hit by two airport strikes in the next week(Image: Getty Images)
Holidaymakers have been warned holiday flights are set to be hit after a massive strike was joined. Portugese media have today reported that cancellations will result after cabin crew and ground staff decided to walk out.
EasyJet has warned of flight disruptions, whilst TAP and SATA are allowing free rebooking. The general strike on June 3 against the labour reform is expected to have a major impact on airport services in Portugal. Reports suggest up to 500 flights could be scrapped, while trains, ferries, city metros and buses are all expected to face disruption.
It comes as holidaymakers heading to Italy were warned to brace for major disruption as a nationwide transport strike threatens chaos across the country. The 24-hour walkout is expected to hit rail services, airports, metro systems, buses and regional transport networks from 9pm on Thursday, May 28, until 9pm on Friday, May 29.
Several unions have confirmed industrial action involving major rail operators including Trenitalia, Trenord and Italo, sparking fears of cancellations and delays on some of Italy’s busiest routes. Long-distance rail services connecting major cities including Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, Bologna and Naples are expected to be among the worst affected outside protected operating periods.
Italy’s Ministry of Transport has published lists of “guaranteed” services that must continue operating during protected commuter windows between 6am and 9am, and again between 6pm and 9pm. Italy’s Civil Aviation Authority, ENAC, confirmed flights are legally protected during guaranteed operating periods between 7am and 10am and 6pm and 9pm.
In Portugal TAP and the SATA group are even allowing their passengers to rebook flights scheduled for that date at no extra cost. The airlines have already posted notices on social media and are contacting passengers.
Unions in the sector were this week negotiating with the Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations regarding minimum services, and only then will it be known exactly how many flights will be cancelled. It is already certain, however, that there will be flight cancellations, not least because air traffic controllers will also be joining the strike.
“Like all airlines operating to and from the country, easyJet may experience some disruption to its flights. The airline is currently assessing the potential impact of this situation, and customers will be contacted directly if their flights are affected. easyJet assures us that it is doing everything in its power to minimise the impact of this strike,” an official source told Expresso.
The Civil Aviation Pilots’ Union (SPAC), unlike during the last general strike on December 11, will not be taking part this time. “We have decided to stand aside from this process for now,” said Hélder Santinhos, speaking to Lusa.
“The first general strike was timely. We took a stand, both pilots and workers across the country, against the labour package,” the SPAC president began by saying. Now, he said that next week’s strike “does not seem to be at the most appropriate time”, although he reserves the right to take further industrial action. This is because, he argued, “unfortunately, the changes made to the labour package do not seem sufficient for us to agree to them”.
This stance differs from that of the members of the National Union of Civil Aviation Flight Crew (SNPVAC), who approved participation in the general strike on May 19. Sitava, the largest union for ground staff and handling personnel, has also joined the strike.
The CGTP has served notice of a general strike for June 3 against the changes to the labour law, after negotiations with the Government ended without agreement.
The hospitality sector is deeply concerned about this strike. The Portuguese Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHRESP) stated on Tuesday that the general strike will exacerbate the sector’s losses, which are already being affected by the situation at border controls.
The association argues, as reported by Lusa, that “national airports are showing signs of operational collapse” and that the general strike on June 3 “could further exacerbate the losses”. It also calls for the European Union’s Entry/Exit System at border controls to be suspended with urgency until the end of September.
AHRESP said in a statement: “Portugal invests in international promotion as a destination of excellence, yet allows the visitor’s first experience to be hours spent queuing, a missed connection, a negative reaction on social media or a booking that is not repeated.”
On Tuesday, AHRESP called for the suspension of the EES (European Union Entry/Exit System) as a matter of urgency and until the end of September, which “would speed up passenger checks and reduce waiting times at airports”.
The association also calls for “negotiation and a sense of responsibility among all parties involved, in order to avoid a strike in aviation and airport services, which, were it to take place, would result in further damage to sectors that continue to face severe economic pressures”.
The Federation of Transport and Communications Unions has announced its support for the general strike. The strike notices cover workers at Lisbon Metro, Carris, Transtejo/Soflusa, Fertagus, Mondego Metro, Porto Metro, STCP and CP.
Unions representing teachers, architects, doctors, nurses and journalists have also announced their support for the protest, which promises to bring the country to a standstill.
Families heading to France from Dover are enduring a two hour wait, while train services out of London have been hit by cancellations ahead of weekend of route closures
11:15, 22 May 2026Updated 11:35, 22 May 2026
Drivers were stuck in sweltering temperatures to get through passport control at the Port of Dover on Friday morning(Image: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)
Drivers arriving at the port of Dover have been warned of two hour waits as millions of others elsewhere face bank holiday travel chaos.
Authorities at Dover have alerted customers to a “120 minute processing time for tourist traffic in the buffer zone” before reaching French border control on this side of the Channel. It added: “Please note there is external congestion on the port approach roads.”
Writing on social media, the Port of Dover said: “Thank you for your patience. Our teams are working hard to get everyone through border control and check-in as quickly as possible.” The go-slow comes as Brits flying to Europe also fear lengthy waits to get through border control after the implementation of new passport checks.
Doug Bannister, Port of Dover chief executive, warned Saturday would be even busier: “We’re looking at about 8,000 cars on Saturday, so that is going to be the busiest of the three days. Our busy time for cars tends to be about 5am till until 1pm. If you’re arriving for a sailing during that period of time, we ask people not to arrive more than two hours before their sailing so that we can keep everybody flowing through.”
National Rail warned the hot weather can “cause overhead lines to expand and sag”, rails to buckle and pose a risk of track-side fires. “Speed restrictions may be imposed,” it added.
Tens of thousands or rail passengers suffered cancellations even before a weekend of disruption due to engineering work and strikes.
Operator LNER said northbound services between London King’s Cross and Peterborough were disrupted due to a fault with the overhead power lines in the New Barnet area. Delays of up to 50 minutes were expected. And southbound, services between York and Doncaster were disrupted due to a fault with the signalling system.
The East Coast Main Line is expected to be one of the worst routes affected in the coming days because of a closure for works in North Yorkshire. A rail replacement bus service will operate but, as a result, will add more than more than an hour and a half to a normal three hour journey.
The closure has impact thousands Middlesborough fans travelling to London for the Championship play-off final against Hull City at Wembley.
Industrial action is also planned on London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway on Friday and Saturday, with passengers advised to “only travel if necessary” as trains will only run on a small number of routes.
Elsewhere, the Transpennine route will also be impacted, including a rail replacement service between Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield over the whole weekend, and between Huddersfield and Leeds, Dewsbury and Wakefield Kirkgate on Sunday.
Buses will replace trains on the Great Western main line between Newport and Bristol Parkway, while one train an hour will operate between south Wales and London via Gloucester from Saturday right through to Monday June 8.
Passengers using part of the Thameslink line in London and South Western Railway between Havant, Fareham and Portsmouth Harbour will also be disrupted.
Anit Chandarana, from Network Rail, said: “Bank holidays are still among the least busy times for us in terms of passengers, so it makes sense to plan these major improvements for those days.
“I know it can be frustrating to have to check before you travel, but this investment is about making everyday journeys better – improving reliability, reducing future disruption and helping the railway work better for passengers.”
So much rail disruption will inevitably mean even more people take to roads already predicted to be busy due to the weather and the start of the half term school break.
Adding to the risk of jams is the fact it is the final weekend of the Premier League season, with hundreds of thousands of fans travelling to cheer on their teams.
Motoring group the AA is forecasting Friday will be the busiest day, with around 23.4 million journeys taken, then 2.8 million on Saturday, and 22.4 million on both Sunday and bank holiday Monday.
If you have been disrupted by the travel disruption, email graham.hiscott@mirror.co.uk
May 19 (UPI) — A bipartisan bill in the U.S. House is proposing a new $130 fee for registering an electric vehicle to help pay for transportation infrastructure.
The Five-Year Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill was introduced on Sunday by Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Rick Larsen, D-Wash. As proposed, it would require an annual $130 registration fee for electric vehicles and $35 for plug-in hybrids.
Graves said in a statement that the bill “ensures that electric vehicle owners begin paying their fair share for the use of our roads.”
Currently, the Highway Trust Fund is used to pay for county roads, bridges, railways and other infrastructure projects. The fund is filled by taxes on gasoline.
“The ‘user pays’ principle has been fundamental to how we fund our nation’s surface transportation system for as long as I’ve been in Congress,” Larsen said in a statement. “I support that principle and worked to make sure that this new fee on EVs is fair and not punitive.”
Albert Gore III, executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association, said the fees would penalize electric vehicle owners. The organization estimates that the fee is higher than what is collected on the gas tax on a per-consumer basis.
The federal gasoline tax is about $0.18 per gallon. It has not changed since 1993.
“I don’t argue that the number should be zero, but the number should be fair,” Gore said.
Congress eliminated electric vehicle subsidies last year, totaling about $7,500 per vehicle, as part of an effort to peel back sustainability and environmental efforts enacted under the Biden administration.
Fees on electric vehicle owners are in place in at least 41 states,
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a news conference on anti-fraud initiatives in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House on Wednesday. Photo by Daniel Heuer/UPI | License Photo
including Colorado and New Jersey, ranging from $50 to $260.
New research shows where and when will be most dangerous for motorists this Bank Holiday weekend
12:59, 19 May 2026Updated 13:00, 19 May 2026
Millions of Brits will take to the roads this Bank Holiday weekend
Most motorists reckon the roads are at their most treacherous during rush hour, when traffic is bumper-to-bumper and congestion is at its peak. But with millions of Britons set to hit the road this Bank Holiday weekend, fresh research suggests the greatest danger may lurk when the roads seem at their emptiest.
Fresh analysis by Confused.com appears to reveal the single most hazardous hour to drive in the UK, with motorists being urged to steer clear of this time slot where possible over the bank holiday weekend. Drawing on Department for Transport (DfT) traffic flow and collision data, Confused.com has developed an interactive Safety Index to work out the probability of being caught up in an accident relative to the volume of vehicles on the road.
Rhydian Jones, Confused.com car insurance expert, explains why the emptiest roads can often prove the most perilous, identifies the riskiest and safest times to drive in the UK, and offers guidance on how motorists can use Confused.com’s new Safety Index tool to plan safer journeys during the bank holiday exodus.
Whether you’re heading off for a long weekend away, popping to see relatives or making your way home after a day out, understanding when collision risk peaks could help you sidestep the most dangerous times to be behind the wheel.
Why Quiet Roads Can Be More Dangerous
It appears to defy logic. Fewer vehicles should surely mean fewer crashes. But experts suggest that emptier roads often encourage more reckless driving behaviour. Almost 1 in 3 motorists (29%) acknowledge they break speed limits at least from time to time, while more than 1 in 4 (27%) admit they’re more inclined to speed when traffic is lighter. Factor in poor visibility, driver fatigue and the heightened chance of encountering drink-drivers, and the hazard increases dramatically.
“Road safety relies on more than just how many cars are on the road. It depends on how conditions evolve through the day, and our analysis makes that pattern unmistakably clear. The late afternoon sees the highest number of collisions because the roads are busy. But when we look at the risk per vehicle, it’s the late-night and early-morning hours that are proportionately the most dangerous. That’s when visibility drops, fatigue sets in and roads are quiet enough that drivers may take more risks.
We know journeys become longer, traffic becomes heavier, and weather conditions get tougher. Our research shows many drivers already feel nervous, especially at night or in unfamiliar areas, and nearly a third admit to speeding when the roads look quiet. Our interactive ‘Safety Index’ tool can help drivers make informed decisions about when they travel, reducing risk and helping them stay safer behind the wheel.” Rhydian Jones, Confused.com car insurance expert.
The analysis found that the hours with the highest collision risk relative to traffic volume are:
Sunday: 3am to 4am
Saturday: 2am to 3am
Friday: 11pm to midnight
Monday: 1am to 2am
Tuesday to Thursday: midnight to 1am
These findings suggest that the greatest danger is not necessarily when roads are busiest, but when drivers are most tired and conditions are less forgiving.
The Safest Times to Drive
By contrast, the safest times to drive are generally in the early morning. Weekdays between 5am and 7am were found to carry the lowest risk, with Wednesday 5am to 6am ranking as the safest hour of the entire week.
On weekends, the safest time shifts slightly later, with 9am to 10am emerging as the lowest-risk period. Experts believe these times are safer because traffic tends to be more predictable and speeds are generally lower.
Over Half of Drivers Have Witnessed or Experienced a Crash
The study also found that road accidents are a common experience for UK motorists.
60% of drivers have either been involved in or witnessed a road accident.
33% say the incident happened in the afternoon.
39% say they have become more cautious and aware of other drivers afterwards.
19% say they felt more nervous behind the wheel.
The emotional impact of accidents can have a lasting effect on confidence and driving behaviour.
The Driving Situations That Make People Most Nervous
The research revealed that many drivers feel uneasy in certain conditions:
26% feel most nervous on inner-city roads.
32% worry about encountering drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs at night or on weekends.
More than 1 in 3 (37%) actively avoid driving at night.
50% avoid driving in poor weather.
41% leave earlier to avoid feeling rushed.
The UK Areas with the Most Collisions
When looking at total collisions rather than risk per vehicle, the busiest crash period is 5pm to 6pm, coinciding with school pick-ups and the evening commute.
During this hour, the councils with the highest number of reported collisions were:
Kent – 265
Surrey – 215
Essex – 205
Nationally, there were 100,927 injury collisions recorded by police and logged by the Department for Transport over the last year.
Why This Hour Is So Dangerous
Several factors combine to make this the most hazardous hour of the week:
Drivers may be returning home after late nights out.
Fatigue is at its peak.
Reduced traffic can encourage speeding.
Visibility is poor.
There is a greater risk of drink-driving.
The result is a period where even a small mistake can have serious consequences.
In a bid to help motorists gain a clearer picture of road risks, Confused.com has unveiled an interactive Safety Index tool that highlights the safest and most dangerous times to drive on each day of the week.
By cross-referencing traffic volumes with collision statistics, the tool enables drivers to pinpoint lower-risk windows and make better-informed choices about when to set off.
For anyone considering a bank holiday road trip or a late-night drive home, the message couldn’t be more straightforward: quiet roads don’t necessarily mean safer roads.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division turned heads yesterday with social media posts that seemed to suggest the unit had begun fielding a new version of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) armed with a turreted 30mm cannon. Multiple outlets and large social media channels subsequently reported the news this way. TWZ asked the Army and defense contractor BAE Systems for more information, and both have clarified that the two AMPV 30s delivered this week are company-funded prototypes that are only set to be tested.
The Army will evaluate the AMPV 30s as part of the Transformation In Contact (TIC) 2.0 initiative. TIC efforts, in general, have been focused on helping accelerate the fielding of new and improved capabilities, as well as tactics, techniques, and procedures to go with them. However, presently, the service has no plans to acquire this variant of the AMPV.
Another view of one of the AMPV 30s being delivered to the 1st Cavalry Division this week. US Army/Spc. Michelle Lessard-Terry
The Army selected the Bradley-based AMPV as the replacement for its long-serving M113 family of armored personnel carriers and related vehicles in 2014. The service’s current program of record includes five AMPV variants, all of which are turretless. The M1283 general-purpose personnel carrier, the M1284 medical evacuation vehicle, the M1285 medical treatment vehicle, the M1286 command and control version, and the M1287 mortar carrier vehicle.
A graphic giving a general overview of the five AMPV variants the US Army is currently acquiring. US Army
So it came as something of a surprise when the 1st Cavalry Division announced the arrival of the AMPV 30s yesterday.
“Big news! The 1st Cavalry Division has just received the Army’s FIRST AMPV 30mm prototypes,” a post from the 1st Cavalry Division’s official account on X had declared. “Our troopers are leading the charge once again by integrating this next-generation capability into the formation and transforming how armored Divisions fight.”
Big news! The 1st Cavalry Division has just received the Army’s FIRST AMPV 30mm prototypes. Our troopers are leading the charge once again by integrating this next-generation capability into the formation and transforming how armored Divisions fight. #BeLegendary#PegasusChargepic.twitter.com/Ny1gDRA796
The 1st Cavalry Division, which is based at Fort Hood in Texas, also shared a set of pictures of the vehicles yesterday through the U.S. military’s Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) website. “The AMPV features a remote 30mm turret capable of using programmable airburst ammunition, designed to target small drones and unarmored ground threats, embodying the Transforming in Contact initiative to dominate the modern battlefield,” per a common caption attached to all of these images.
As an aside, some were quick to point out a certain irony in the idea that the Army had fielded a new version of the AMPV with a cannon-armed turret. An AMPV in this configuration looks very similar to the Bradley on which the original turretless variants were based.
Despite the phrasing of the 1st Cavalry’s social media posts, the AMPV 30s are “an internal research and development type effort from BAE Systems,” an Army spokesperson told TWZ today. “It is not something the Army procured, nor is there a requirement for the system at this time.”
“This system will be participating in TIC, but again, there is no Army requirement,” the spokesperson added.
“BAE Systems provided two prototype AMPV 30s to the U.S. Army to participate in the upcoming Transformation in Contact (TiC) 2.0 initiative,” the company told TWZ in a separate statement. “The vehicles were developed through self-investment and based on the proven chassis of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV). Over the next several months, the Army will run the AMPV 30s through field evaluations to benchmark the platform’s capabilities against what Soldiers require to maintain advantage on the modern battlefield.”
US Army personnel at Fort Hood check out an AMPV 30, at right, as it is delivered on April 30, 2026. A Bradley Fighting Vehicle is seen in the background. US Army/Spc. Michelle Lessard-Terry
“Our mission was speed and innovation, and we delivered beyond expectations. With today’s battlefield evolving faster than ever, it’s paramount that Soldiers have the capabilities they need to win the fight,” a BAE Systems spokesperson also told TWZ today. “Throughout this effort, our team demonstrated how we can integrate new design solutions in a time-effective and more cost-efficient manner for the Army.”
BAE Systems also confirmed that the turret on these up-gunned AMPVs is the Medium Caliber Turret-30 (MCT-30) from Norway’s Kongsberg Defense. This is a remotely operated design that contains a Mk 44 Bushmaster II automatic cannon, as well as a fire control suite that includes electro-optical and infrared cameras. It is interesting to note that the Marine Corps is in the process of acquiring a variant of its 8×8 wheeled Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) equipped with MCT-30. BAE is also the prime contractor for the ACV family. In addition, the Army has two variants of the 8×8 Stryker wheeled armored vehicle armed with XM813 cannons, which are based on the Mk 44, but neither uses the MCT-30 turret.
A Marine ACV-30 prototype with the MCT-30 turret. USMC
An AMPV equipped with the MCT-30 was first shown publicly back in 2024. The turret in that case was also fitted with a Javelin anti-tank guided missile launcher. BAE Systems also previously announced the development of what it calls the External Mission Equipment Package (ExMEP) for these vehicles, which consists primarily of a new top plate that allows for the relatively rapid integration of various turrets. The company has said in the past that ExMEP can accommodate “more than 30 turret systems.”
Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle – Patria NEMO 120mm Mortar Variant
What interest the Army might ultimately have in the AMPV 30 remains to be seen. The service continues to operate Bradley variants and is working to update them with new capabilities, including Iron Fist active protection systems (APS). A test last year also demonstrated the ability of the vehicle to fire a loitering munition from its TOW missile launcher, which could open up new operational possibilities. The Army is also pursuing a separate replacement for the Bradley, tentatively designated the XM30, which will be armed with a larger 50mm cannon as its main weapon.
A Bradley Fighting Vehicle fires a Raytheon Coyote LE SR loitering munition during a demonstration in 2025. US Army
The mention of the counter-drone mission in relation to the prototype AMPV 30s delivered to the 1st Cavalry Division could point to a potential use case for the Army. The service previously had an air defense variant of the Bradley, the M6 Linebacker, which had a launcher for Stinger short-range heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles rather than TOWs. The last M6s were converted into standard M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles in the mid-2000s, and no direct replacement for that capability was ever acquired.
A Ukrainian drone from the 79th Air Assault Brigade drops a 40mm HEDP grenade on a Russian UR-77 Meteorit, causing a catastrophic payload explosion. pic.twitter.com/SsaQCKXsNL
BAE Systems has previously shown another version of the AMPV in a more dedicated air defense configuration with a turret armed with a 30mm XM914 cannon, which fires a smaller round than the XM813, as well as Stinger missiles. The vehicle, seen in the picture below, also featured several small-form-factor radars to help spot and track incoming threats. An AMPV in a counter-drone or more general anti-air configuration would also be better able to keep up and otherwise operate with Army units equipped with other variants of that vehicle.
BAE Systems A prototype of a variant of the AMPV armored vehicle with the same turret as the Stryker M-SHORAD vehicle. BAE Systems
The Army could also have different demands for new, turreted AMPVs depending on how the XM30 effort continues to evolve. Designs from American Rheinmetall and General Dynamics Land Systems have been competing to secure that contract. However, a program pause and a new request for information for a different, but very similar-sounding vehicle earlier this year have raised questions about the XM30’s overall future.
Cost and other factors have scuttled several previous Bradley replacement efforts. If serious issues arise with the latest XM30 program plans, it might lead to at least a portion of the Bradley fleet ultimately being replaced by turreted AMPV variants instead.
A positive Army assessment of the AMPV 30 could be a boon for BAE, even if the service does not buy any of those vehicles, in the end, too. The combat effectiveness of older Bradley variants has recently been demonstrated in the conflict in Ukraine, and other potential customers could be attracted to the idea of a derivative with a new turret and other more modern features.
For now, anyway, the Army is set to put the AMPV 30 through its paces, but has no plans to buy any of them for its own use.
Chris Melkonian, the Marine Corps’ current Program Manager for Advanced Amphibious Assault (PM AAA), talked today about APS for the ACV fleet and other plans for those vehicles at the annual Modern Day Marine exposition, at which TWZ is in attendance.
The Marines currently field two ACV variants, the baseline personnel carrier type (ACV-P) and a version optimized for command and control tasks (ACV-C). The service is in the process of acquiring two more variants, one armed with a turreted 30mm cannon (ACV-30) and a recovery vehicle version fitted with a crane and other specialized features (ACV-R). The Corps is presently targeting 2028 for reaching initial operational capability with the ACV-30 and the ACV-R.
From left to right, an Amphibious Combat Vehicle command and control variant (ACV-C), a 30mm cannon-armed ACV-30, and a standard ACV personnel carrier version (ACV-P). The ACV-R recovery variant is not shown here. USMC/Sgt. Alexis Sanchez
The Marines view the entire ACV family as central to its ability to conduct amphibious operations, as well as for providing additional lethality and other support to forces once ashore. At present, the service is planning to acquire a total fleet of 608 ACVs, consisting of 389 ACV-Ps, 33 ACV-Cs, 152 ACV-30s, and 34 ACV-Rs. Prime contractor BAE Systems has also proposed additional variants, including ones configured for electronic warfare or dedicated to the counter-drone role.
This briefing slide, giving a general overview of the Marine Corps’ current plans for the ACV fleet, was shown at the annual Modern Day Marine exposition today. Eric Tegler
In 2018, the Corps announced it had selected the ACV as the replacement for its Cold War-era tracked Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) family. The service announced the formal retirement of the AAV last fall.
Marine AAVs maneuver at Camp Pendleton, California, during the retirement ceremony in 2025. USMC
There are already “things that we’re doing today to make the ACV family vehicles even more capable,” Melkonian said at Modern Day Marine. “The analogy I use is the ACV that Marines are using today is not the ACV that they’re going to use in the future.”
This includes an “active protection system,” he added. “We’re working with the vendor to mature that capability. We’re going to move that right into production.”
Recently released budget documents also say that the Marines are asking for $28.35 million in Fiscal Year 2027 for “Ancillary Equipment” for the ACV fleet, which “is primarily attributed to the procurement of Special Mission Kits for the Active Protective System (APS).” Those same documents further note that the “funding provides APS production kits, integration kits, installation labor, countermeasures, and spares for 21 ACV-P vehicles and will add a new defensive capability to existing vehicles.”
However, neither Melkonian nor the budget documents have said what specific type of APS the ACVs are now in line to get, or when. TWZ has reached out to the service for more information.
A US Army M2A4E1 Bradley with the Iron Fist APS. US ArmyAn official US Army overview of what it has now designated the XM251 Active Protection System, a version of the Israeli-designed Iron Fist. US Army
There are other APS designs on the market today that the Marines could have chosen for integration onto the ACV, as well.
As noted, APSs available today are generally designed to neutralize anti-tank guided missiles and other infantry anti-armor weapons. They typically achieve this through the use of ‘hard-kill’ projectiles designed to destroy targets either using an explosive warhead or via the sheer force of impact. Hard-kill APSs use a mixture of sensors, which can include small-form-factor radars and electro-optical/infrared cameras, to cue those interceptors to engage incoming threats.
From when the Marines first announced the selection of BAE’s ACV back in 2018, TWZ has noted that an APS could provide the vehicles with a valuable extra layer of defense against anti-armor missiles and rockets. More capable infantry anti-armor weapons continue to be developed and proliferate globally. Those threats present additional challenges in beach landing scenarios for amphibious vehicles like the ACV, which move much more slowly in the water than they do on land.
A Ukrainian drone from the 79th Air Assault Brigade drops a 40mm HEDP grenade on a Russian UR-77 Meteorit, causing a catastrophic payload explosion. pic.twitter.com/SsaQCKXsNL
TWZ has previously laid out a detailed case specifically for using hard-kill APSs to provide added counter-drone defense for armored vehicles. The Israeli firms behind Trophy and Iron Fist have both now notably demonstrated the ability of their respective systems to defeat uncrewed aerial threats in certain envelopes, as can be seen in the videos below. It should be noted that Trophy, Iron Fist, and other hard-kill APSs have a limited number of engagement opportunities and are not really intended to defeat large volumes of threats simultaneously, such as drones attacking in swarms.
Trophy® APS – The land maneuver enabler
Iron Fist APS | Active Protection System for Armored Vehicles
When it comes to the APS capability now planned for Marine ACVs, “that is not going to be the end-all, be-all,” Melkonian, the Marine Corps’ Program Manager, said today. “We’re constantly looking at what the next generation of APS is and how we can get that onto the platform in a lightweight form factor.”
Melkonian also highlighted other potential counter-drone and more general survivability upgrades that could be on the horizon for ACV. This could include the integration of directed energy weapons and some form of added overhead protection. Top-down attacks on vehicles where the armor is typically thinnest can be very threatening, in general.
A Ukrainian M1 Abrams with cope cage-style add-on armor around its turret. Metinvest
Improved “situational awareness, that’s kind of a gateway to counter-UAS, in terms of the ability to sense your environment,” Melkonian also noted today while talking about other possible upgrades for the ACV. “Take all that video on board and then be able to feed that into [a] counter-UAS system.”
Melkonian highlighted several other areas of interest where the Marines are looking to improve the ACV’s capabilities. His list included things like reducing the vehicle’s signatures to make it harder for enemies to spot, improving its mobility while in the water, and upgrades to just help keep everything inside dry.
Another briefing slide shown at Modern Day Marine during the ACV program presentation, laying out areas of interest for future upgrades. Eric Tegler
“Marines operate in very humid, very difficult environments,” he explained. “The ability to dehumidify the vehicles is a critical enabler, being able to improve the maintenance strategy and keeping [sic] those components running for as long as they need to.”
A Marine ACV hits the water after leaving the well deck of an amphibious warfare ship. USMC/Cpl. Osmar Vasquez Hernandez
Broadly speaking, the Marines are interested in new “lightweight solutions, advanced technology, and anything that’s going to be marinized. It must be marinized,” he added. “I can’t tell you how many solutions have been picked, and that’s one of the first questions we ask, and sometimes the solutions are designed for a marinized environment, sometimes they’re not. Marines go where no one else goes, and we’ve got to be able to make sure that our capabilities can support their needs.”
The core marinization requirement will apply to the APS integration just like any other upgrades for Marine ACVs.
Altogether, the addition of active protection systems looks to be just one important upgrade for the Marine Corps’ ACV fleet now on the horizon.
A video emerged Wednesday on social media showing an Israeli vehicle festooned with the netting, draped like a soccer goal from metal arms extending out and above. The idea, as we have reported in the past, is that drones will get caught up in the nylon or mesh metal nets and become disabled, or the nets will help keep the drones far enough from the occupants before exploding to keep them from being killed. The latter is a far more limited scenario and depends on the vehicle type and the warhead on the drone. Based on the video we are seeing, the level of protection netting can provide passengers in the open-top Israeli vehicle if a trapped drone’s warhead were to detonate is likely very little.
Israeli Defense Forces testing a folded anti-drone net installed on a Humvee.
The video emerged amid a surge of Hezbollah strikes with FPV drones against the IDF in Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/PwIyuJQVs4
— Status-6 (War & Military News) (@Archer83Able) April 29, 2026
The video began to circulate amid growing controversy in Israel over what is perceived as the IDF’s inability to counter the Hezbollah FPV drone threat. The frustration reached a new level over the weekend, after an Israeli soldier was killed and six were wounded by a Hezbollah drone. A followup attack was launched while the IDF was medevacing the wounded, narrowly missing the helicopter.
You can see the drone narrowly miss the helicopter in the following video.
“The attack laid bare a growing vulnerability: the Israel Defense Forces’ lack of preparedness for first-person view (FPV) drones in Lebanon, which have been an increasingly prominent weapon in Hezbollah’s arsenal during the current fighting,” the Times of Israel reported on Monday. “The Israel Defense Forces has reported dozens of drone-related injuries in recent weeks, though most were minor. Sunday’s attack marked the first fatal FPV drone strike on Israeli forces.”
“Yet the emergence of fiber optic-guided drones should not have come as a surprise,” the paper highlighted. The reason is what we noted in our previous story about this issue. The militant Lebanese group has used FPV drones against Israel since 2024 and they have been widely used by both sides in the Ukraine war for several years, as well as in other conflicts zones around the globe.
These strikes have become more prevalent the deeper Israel went into southern Lebanon. Videos of these recent attacks have been showing up on social media.
Hezbollah conducted more fiber-optic FPV strikes on Israeli vehicles in Lebanon, including two ‘Merkava’ Mk.4 tanks, a D9 Caterpillar armored bulldozer, and what appears to be a rare ‘Namer’ heavy IFV equipped with a turret mounting a 30 mm Bushmaster Mk 2 cannon. 1/ https://t.co/ms2nagNHrDpic.twitter.com/WDs6M3SpwW
Moreover, Israeli Merkava tanks began sporting metal additions on top of vehicles meant to deflect top-down attacks from drones during the conflict in Gaza two years ago, which you can read more about here. Some of those tanks that have come under attack recently have been observed with them as well. So Israel has been working to deal with the evolving FPV drone threat, on some level, for some time and it is not alone in struggling with it. Most militaries in the world face the possibility of this same vexing threat with no clear blanket countermeasure to deal with it.
Israeli military officials acknowledge that the IDF still lacks an effective counter to fiber-optic-guided drones, the Times of Israel noted, for reasons we have frequently reported. Fiber optic cables mitigate the effect of electronic warfare efforts to jam radio signals as well as some of the limitations imposed by geographical features that can impede the line-of-sight radio connection between drone and operator.
“The IDF initially assessed that Hezbollah’s fiber optic drones could only operate over a few kilometers,” the outlet stated. “Later, the military discovered launches occurring from distances of up to 15 kilometers (nine miles).”
“The gap was underscored on April 11, when the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development issued a public call for solutions to the threat — nearly two years after such systems first surfaced in Ukraine, and weeks into the current conflict with Hezbollah,” according to the Times of Israel. “The Defense Ministry is seeking additional capabilities to address this threat. The purpose of this request is to identify innovative and mature technologies.”
⚡️🇮🇱🇱🇧Times of Israel: Sunday’s Hezbollah drone attack in Taybeh, which killed Sgt. Idan Fooks and wounded six others, has exposed the IDF’s lack of preparedness for first‑person view (FPV) drones, particularly those guided by fibre‑optic cables which are immune to electronic…
It’s unclear how widespread the use of netting is currently by the IDF in southern Lebanon.
“The issue of drones carrying fiber-optic cables is currently a threat without a clear solution,” a high-ranking IDF official, who just returned from Lebanon, told us. “What’s been shown in the video seems more like an experimental concept rather than something that is already operational in the field.”
“In practice, forces are using various improvised solutions—fishing nets, camouflage nets, even soccer nets, along with drills involving small-arms fire at drones,” he added. “However, I personally haven’t seen the specific net system mentioned being used on the ground yet.”
The official said someone from the IDF’s ground forces research and development team told him that the conclusion in the military is that “this solution is highly problematic. It allows the lower parts of the vehicle to remain exposed, areas that the net doesn’t cover. The likely next step for the adversary would be to detonate the drone at a distance from the net, causing shrapnel to disperse toward the forces.”
IDF troops claim they recently captured a cache of Hezbollah weapons in southern Lebanon, including first-person view (FPV) drones. (IDF)
In a post on X Tuesday, Israeli military journalist Doron Kadosh said the issue of how to deal with Hezbollah FPV drones “took up significant volume in [Monday]’s discussion at the IDF’s senior command forum at Ramat David. The commander of the 282nd Artillery Brigade, which is currently fighting in Lebanon, Col. G., told the commanders: ‘The drone threat is a significant operational challenge that we’re dealing with. We need to think about how to organize better against this threat.’”
IDF combat unit commanders fighting in Lebanon “now express great frustration with the drone threat and the few tools the IDF has to counter them,” Kadosh added. “‘There’s not much you can do about it,’ says a commander currently fighting in Lebanon. The briefing the forces receive boils down to— ‘Stay alert, and if you spot a drone—shoot at it.’”
Some IDF units “have already begun developing independent responses to the threat—for example, nets deployed over positions, houses, and windows—so that the drone gets caught in the net and doesn’t hit its target,” Kadosh continued. “This is an improvised response; we’ve started deploying it with some of the forces, but it’s far from sufficient,” an officer currently fighting in Lebanon told the reporter. This would follow exactly what we saw in Ukraine, as both sides looked to improvised forms of protection from incoming drones, leading to rapid experimentation and many dead ends.
איום רחפני הנפץ שמאתגר את כוחות צה״ל בדרום לבנון בשורת התקפות יומיומיות של חזבאללה:
הסוגיה תפסה נפח משמעותי גם בדיון פורום הפיקוד הבכיר של צה״ל אתמול ברמת דוד. מפקד חטיבת התותחנים 282 שנלחמת כעת בלבנון, אל״ם ע׳, אמר למפקדים: ״איום הרחפנים הוא אתגר מבצעי… pic.twitter.com/jiSGrSEBGH
— דורון קדוש | Doron Kadosh (@Doron_Kadosh) April 28, 2026
Despite the limitations, this netting has become fairly common in Ukraine, with both sides using netting over vehicles, buildings and miles and miles of roadway to provide safer corridors of travel.
About anti-FPV road net tunnels:
“Thousands of kilometers of equipped anti-drone corridors block the main logistical routes all the way to the forward positions The goal is to ensure security up to a depth of 100 km from the contact line.” 6/ https://t.co/Avipifv6Frpic.twitter.com/ES7gq20lln
As we noted in our last piece on the growing FPV threat to Israeli forces, active protection systems (APS) on armored vehicles are being adapted to provide hard-kill counter-drone protection. These systems use sensors to detect incoming rocket-propelled grenades, missiles, and other projectiles, and fire projectiles to hit them before they strike the vehicle. Israel is a major pioneer in the APS space, with systems being deployed for decades, but just how soon it can upgrade existing systems, such as Iron Fist, for this application isn’t clear. Also, this doesn’t help many lighter vehicles that do not have APS capabilities. Still, it is one bright spot of hope of creating a defense against fiber optic FPVs, at least for lower volume attacks, although these are also very costly systems.
Iron Fist APS | Active Protection System for Armored Vehicles
Regardless, we are likely to see more Israeli vehicles equipped with nets and other forms of passive protection in the coming days, and likely more advanced countermeasures if the war grinds on for a prolonged period.
