The US Army has awarded Team Lynx – led by American Rheinmetall Vehicles and including Textron Systems, Raytheon Technologies, L3Harris Technologies, Allison Transmission, and Anduril Industries – a contract for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) Phase 3 Detailed Design and Phase 4 Prototype Build and Test phases of the five-phased programme, Rheinmetall announced on 7 August 2023.
Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and the General Dynamics Land Systems Griffin III IFV were both competitively selected for firm-fixed price contracts for Phases 3 and 4 of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) programme, now known as the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle (MICV) programme, on 26 June.
The two competitors will now complete the designs that began in the Phase 2 Concept Design phase and build at least seven and as many as 11 prototypes for army evaluation with a full contract value in excess of USD 700 M (EUR 636.6 M).
“American Rheinmetall Vehicles and our teammates are excited about the award and we look forward to continuing our important work with the Army in this critical modernisation programme,” Matthew Warnick, American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ managing director, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Team Lynx brings together some of the finest defence technology companies in the world and will deliver a truly transformational, modern infantry combat vehicle that ensures our soldiers can fight, survive, and win on future battlefields.”
Destined to replace the US Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle fleet (a task that has seen multiple aborted programmes over the last several years), the XM30 programme is expected bring new capabilities that will transform the way US armour formations fight. Developed with a modular open-system architecture (MOSA), the XM30 will allow new, developing technologies to be added to the vehicle as they mature, ensuring the XM30 stays ahead of the threat.
Following the detailed design and prototype build and testing phases, the army intends to have a limited competition to downselect to one vendor at the programme’s ‘Milestone C’ near the end of fiscal year 2027, with first unit equipped anticipated in fiscal year 2029.
Peter Felstead
