General Dynamics Ordnance presents Flyer 72 ALSV Advanced Light Strike Vehicle at AUSA 2014 1810141

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AUSA 2014
Association of the United States Army
AUSA Annual Meeting & Exposition
13 to 15 October 2014
Washington D.C., United States
 
General Dynamics Ordnance at AUSA 2014
 
 
Saturday, October 18, 2014 10:53 AM
 
General Dynamics Ordnance presents Flyer 72 ALSV Advanced Light Strike Vehicle at AUSA 2014.
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) and Flyer Defense have teamed to deliver the future of tactical mobility for mission success in remote or inaccessible terrain: the Flyer Advanced Light Strike Vehicle (ALSV). After the Flyer 60 which was unveiled in 2013, General Dynamics presents at AUSA 2014 the Flyer 72 with an extended chassis compared to the Flyer 60 version.
     
Flyer 72 Advanced Light Strike Vehicle at AUSA 2014, Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington D.C.
     

In October 2013, the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has awarded General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD OTS) a USD5.8 million contract to supply ten Flyer 60 tactical ground vehicles an has indicated an acquisition potential of up to 1500 vehicles.

The contract, which will run for three years, will see GD OTS supply SOCOM with the vehicles in support of the command's V-22 Internally Transportable Vehicle (ITV) requirement.

With both Flyer 60 and Flyer 72 platforms now contracted with SOCOM, the Flyer is set to become the centrepiece of U.S. SOF future lightweight ground mobility: not only for its versatility in high priority mission sets - but also for its affordability as a high-mobility, reliable, multi-role asset. As such, it has come to define the market standard for this niche sector.

In the interim, GD-OTS has proposed a variant of the Flyer 72 platform to meet the U.S. Army's notional Ultra Light Combat Vehicle (ULCV) requirement. The high mobility solution must be able to carry a nine-man squad and payload but also be light enough - at 4500lbs curb weight - to be either sling-loaded by a UH-60 Black Hawk or internally transported in a CH-47 helicopter.

"We used the existing Flyer 72 GMV 1.1 platform to demonstrate this requirement. ULCV does not require the SOF peculiar kits, so we removed those items and exploited that space for increased troop transport. Utilizing a common base vehicle that is a program of record could save the U.S. Army considerable time and money. Having two programs that offer the same logistics footprint and support base reduces cost and increases operational readiness," said Sean Ridley, GD-OTS Program Manager for Lifgtweight Tactical Vehicles.
     

Flyer 72 Advanced Light Strike Vehicle at AUSA 2014, Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington D.C.
     
The Flyer-72 vehicle is a non-developmental item, purpose-built, lightweight vehicle designed to meet complex mission sets. The Flyer-72 was selected by the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) as the vehicle of choice for their fleet of Ground Mobility Vehicles 1.1 (GMV 1.1). At 72” (183 cm) wide the Flyer 72 is capable of internal transport in the CH-47 and C-130 aircraft.

The Flyer-72 is a mature, highly mobile platform, with a payload capacity over 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg) and can be configured to multiple crew sizes (up to nine). It is capable of being guns up in under a minute after exiting the aircraft, and can carry variety of armaments. Its adaptable communications suite provides increased operating range and the provides the operator realtime access to critical information.

As a reliable and high performance vehicle, the Flyer-72 offers safe and fast operating speeds with superior levels of mobility and maneuverability. It’s highly adaptable to severe, rugged and restrictive terrains while providing off-road, cross-country mobility in all types of weather conditions.