The US Army announced the award of two firm-fixed price contracts for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) Phase III and IV detailed design and prototype build and testing phases on 26 June 2023.
The contracts were competitively awarded to General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), which has proposed its Griffin III infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) technology demonstrator, and American Rheinmetall Vehicles, which uses the Lynx KF41 IFV as the basis for its candidate vehicle.
The total award value for both contracts is approximately USD 1.6 Bn (EUR 1.46 Bn).
Bids led by BAE Systems, Oshkosh Defense/Hanwha, and Point Blank Enterprises have not been chosen to proceed to the next phase.
Meanwhile, with the initial digital design phase of the programme now complete, the army is redesignating the OMFV programme as the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle (MICV) programme.
“The XM30 programme has been highly successful,” Major General Glenn Dean, the US Army’s Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems, was quoted as saying in a 26 June press release. “The army’s iterative concepting and digital design approach, combined with increased emphasis on competition, continues to allow the programme to quickly design a transformational capability for the army of 2030 and beyond.”
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.
Regarding the oncoming run-off between GDLS and American Rheinmetall Vehicles, Doug Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, stated, “Competition remains a vital aspect of the XM30 programme. Fully funding two companies for the next phases of the programme will allow the army to place the XM30 on a rock-solid foundation from a resourcing perspective, while also maintaining a competitive environment.”
During the next two phases of the programme, the army will conduct activities to mature XM30 designs and will verify prototype performance during test activities, including a limited user test. The awardees will be required to deliver up to 11 prototype vehicles, as well as two ballistic hulls and turrets, armour coupons and digital engineering data.
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
