US Army details plans for ‘full and open' OMFV competition

Shown here is a Bradley vehicle at Fort Stewart, Georgia in 2016. The US Army plans to select three companies for the next phase of its Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle competition, a future platform designed to replace the Bradley fleet. (US Army )

Three teams will compete in the next phases of the US Army's M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) replacement competition if all goes as planned, according to draft solicitation documents posted on 28 February.

After revamping its Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) competition in 2020, the army moved ahead with a new plan that now has five companies – American Rheinmetall Vehicle, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), Oshkosh Defense, and Point Blank Enterprises – participating in a concept design phase. This portion of the programme will end around mid-2022 and the army will take a three to five month ‘break' to evaluate bids from all companies interested in competing in the next two phases of the competition.

The army then plans to award three contracts for phase 3 (detailed design) and phase 4 (prototype build and test) activities. Combined, these two phases will cover 54-months and each company will be tasked with delivering 12 prototypes, as well as several ballistic hulls and turrets, armour coupons, ballistic kits, and data. Then in 2027 the army intends to select one of these competing companies to proceed with low-rate initial production in anticipation of reaching the first unit equipped milestone in 2029, and full rate production in 2030.