Photo: BAE Systems
For the American soldiers, and some of their allies, the M2 Bradley has been a constant and reliable partner ever since the early 1980s. Produced by BAE Systems, the infantry fighting vehicle saw action in most of the wars and conflicts of our era, including in the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and more recently in Ukraine.
But the Bradley is pretty old, and adapting it to the new requirements of the battlefield is not something that can be easily done. That's why by the end of this decade the U.S. Army plans to replace it with something new.
That something new was called until now the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV). We're talking about a machine just as capable as the Bradley, but built around an open system architecture that could allow it to be upgraded on the go as technology progresses.
The OMFV program kicked off in 2017, and two years ago the Army selected the final five companies which were to work on the vehicle: Point Blank Enterprises, Oshkosh Defense, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, and American Rheinmetall Vehicles. This week, that list was narrowed down even further, to just two competitors: General Dynamics and American Rheinmetall.
The two companies were awarded firm-fixed-price contracts worth a combined $1.6 billion, and they'll have to take the OMFV into detailed design, prototype build, and testing phases.
More to the point, each of them will have to design and build 11 prototype vehicles, but also two ballistic hulls and turrets for them. When they're ready, no later than 2027, a competition will be held to choose the winner of what could turn out to be a very lucrative contract with the Army.
The military branch plans to field these new vehicles on the ground, in the hands of military units, as soon as 2029. They'll no longer be called the OMFV, as a new designation was chosen for them this week as well: XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle.
"The XM30 combines transformative improvements in lethality, vehicle and Soldier survivability, and upgradability that are beyond the physical and economic limits of the Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle," the Army said in a statement.
The exact capabilities of the two final designs are not known at this point. General Dynamics has auto giant GM's defense branch on its side for developing the XM30, but also AeroVironment. Its solution will likely be based on the existing Griffin III armored fighting vehicle, shown for the first time back in 2018.
On its aisle, American Rheinmetall will probably develop the XM30 on the Lynx armored infantry fighting vehicle, designed starting in 2015.
Now that the finalists for the program have been announced we expect work to pick up. And that always means a flood of new details, so stay tuned.
That something new was called until now the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV). We're talking about a machine just as capable as the Bradley, but built around an open system architecture that could allow it to be upgraded on the go as technology progresses.
The OMFV program kicked off in 2017, and two years ago the Army selected the final five companies which were to work on the vehicle: Point Blank Enterprises, Oshkosh Defense, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, and American Rheinmetall Vehicles. This week, that list was narrowed down even further, to just two competitors: General Dynamics and American Rheinmetall.
The two companies were awarded firm-fixed-price contracts worth a combined $1.6 billion, and they'll have to take the OMFV into detailed design, prototype build, and testing phases.
More to the point, each of them will have to design and build 11 prototype vehicles, but also two ballistic hulls and turrets for them. When they're ready, no later than 2027, a competition will be held to choose the winner of what could turn out to be a very lucrative contract with the Army.
The military branch plans to field these new vehicles on the ground, in the hands of military units, as soon as 2029. They'll no longer be called the OMFV, as a new designation was chosen for them this week as well: XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle.
"The XM30 combines transformative improvements in lethality, vehicle and Soldier survivability, and upgradability that are beyond the physical and economic limits of the Army's Bradley Fighting Vehicle," the Army said in a statement.
The exact capabilities of the two final designs are not known at this point. General Dynamics has auto giant GM's defense branch on its side for developing the XM30, but also AeroVironment. Its solution will likely be based on the existing Griffin III armored fighting vehicle, shown for the first time back in 2018.
On its aisle, American Rheinmetall will probably develop the XM30 on the Lynx armored infantry fighting vehicle, designed starting in 2015.
Now that the finalists for the program have been announced we expect work to pick up. And that always means a flood of new details, so stay tuned.
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