U.S. Army releases final request for proposals for Optionally-Manned Fighting Vehicle

[Zarvan]

Brig. Gen. Ross Coffman during 2019 AUSA Warriors Corner panel - Next Generation Combat Vehicle



The U.S. Army has released posted the final request for proposals to open the competition for its Next Generation Combat Vehicle – Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (NGCV – OMFV).

As noted by the U.S. Army Contracting Command, the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle or OMFV is a new combat vehicle that will provide Armor Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs) a mobile, purpose built manned platform that will maneuver Soldiers to a point of positional advantage to engage in close combat. It will deliver decisive lethality and Soldiers to the battlefield during the execution of combined arms maneuver.

The next generation of combat vehicle under OMFV program will design to replace the ageing Bradley fighting vehicle platform.




The OMFV will be designed to maneuver Soldiers in the future operating environment to a position of advantage to engage in close combat and deliver decisive lethality during the execution of combined arms maneuver. New combat vehicle must exceed current capabilities while overmatching similar threat class systems. It must have the following capabilities:

• Optionally manned. It must have the ability to conduct remotely controlled operations while the crew is off platform.
• Capacity. It should eventually operate with no more than two crewmen and possess sufficient volume under armor to carry at least six Soldiers.
• Transportability. Two OMFVs should be transportable by one C-17 and be ready for combat within 15 minutes.
• Dense urban terrain operations and mobility. Platforms should include the ability to super elevate weapons and simultaneously engage threats using main gun and an independent weapons system.
• Protection. It must possess requisite protection to survive on the contemporary and future battlefield.
• Growth. It will possess sufficient size, weight, architecture, power, and cooling for automotive and electrical purposes to meet all platform needs and allow for pre-planned product improvements.
• Lethality. It should apply immediate, precise and decisively lethal extended range medium caliber, directed energy, and missile fires in day/night all-weather conditions, while moving and/or stationary against moving and/or stationary targets. The platform should allow for mounted, dismount, and unmanned system target handover.
• Embedded Platform Training. It should have embedded training systems that have interoperability with the Synthetic Training Environment.
• Sustainability. Industry should demonstrate innovations that achieve breakthroughs in power generation and management to achieve increased operational range and fuel efficiency; increased silent watch, part and component reliability, and significantly reduced sustainment burden.

The Government intends to award up to two Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping (RP) contracts. The MTA RP will be a Firm-Fixed Price contract with a base award that may include multiple options. The MTA RP effort consists of procuring 14 pre-production vehicles (per contractor), two Ballistic Hull and Turrets (per contractor), armor coupons, and logistics products.


https://defence-blog.com/army/u-s-a...s-for-optionally-manned-fighting-vehicle.html

 

[Fenrir]

They've been using optionally-manned HMMWVs in recent years to develop unmanned assault tactics and coordination, not to mention the control software needed for a mass swarm of coordinated combat vehicles. Pretty cool, and the logical step, to see that progress into a realized combat vehicle program.