US Army Unveils New Contracts for Future Combat Vehicle Design Phase
The Army has proclaimed today the granting of five firm-fixed-price contracts for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) Phase II Concept Design Stage utilizing comprehensive and open competitive measures. The contracts were conferred to: Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. (Miami Lakes, Florida); Oshkosh Defense, LLC (Oshkosh, Wisconsin); BAE Systems Land and Armaments L.P. (Sterling Heights, Michigan); General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc. (Sterling Heights, Michigan); and American Rheinmetall Vehicles, LLC (Sterling Heights, Michigan). The total contract value for all five agreements is approximately $299.4 million.
During this segment of the initiative, the industry will create digital blueprints as requirements evolve; prototypes will be demanded in the subsequent phase.
“The Concept Design Stage showcases the Army’s endeavor to structure a program that motivates industrial innovation and supplies the analytical foundation for crafting an abbreviated capability development document,” remarked Brig. Gen. Glenn Dean, program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems.
The preliminary digital blueprint will guide the first official OMFV requirements document, referred to as the A-CDD, which is slated for release in the initial quarter of fiscal year 2022.
“This approach facilitates the Army in making future design-related decisions without overly restricting vendors’ ability to innovate,” Dean stated.
The comprehensive five-phase strategy for the OMFV initiative remains intact – the Army is committed to fostering innovation, enhancing competition throughout the program, and delivering a groundbreaking infantry fighting vehicle that will excel in multi-domain operations.
“The OMFV will usher in a revolutionary change to the battlefield, introducing advanced technologies and capabilities to our units,” stated Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross Functional Team. “Once these designs are finalized, our Soldiers will interact with the designs and provide essential feedback to ensure we deliver the equipment they require to defend our great nation.”
Upon completion of the Concept Design Stage, the Army plans to conduct another fully open competition for the Detailed Design Phase (Phase III), with the goal of awarding up to three contracts in the second quarter of fiscal year 2023.
The Detailed Design Phase winners will progress into Phase IV of the initiative to construct and test actual prototypes. The Army intends to select a single vendor at Milestone C (for Low Rate Initial Production) by the conclusion of fiscal year 2027.
The Army’s OMFV serves as an optionally manned platform that positions Soldiers advantageously to engage in close combat and deliver potent lethality during the execution of combined arms maneuvers. It is engineered to function with or without a crew and Soldiers under armor, depending on the commander’s directive, while also overseeing maneuver robotics and semi-autonomous systems.
