SAIC continues to test vehicle for US Army Mobile Protected Firepower.

Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC) continues to develop and test the prototype of tracked combat vehicle that is proposed for the U.S. Army’s need as part of the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) program. SAIC, together with ST Kinetics of Singapore and CMI Defence from Belgium has developed a new generation of combat vehicle that offers the U.S. Army an innovative solution that provides infantry forces access to combat environments in 21st century operations.

SAIC prototype of tracked combat vehicle based on ST Kinetics’ Next Generation Armored Fighting Vehicle, fitted with CMI Defence’s Cockerill Series 3105 turret armed with one 105mm cannon.  (Picture source Twitter account Sydney Freedberg)

Based on ST Kinetics’ Next Generation Armored Fighting Vehicle (NGAFV) chassis and CMI Defence’s Cockerill Series 3105 turret currently in production, SAIC will compete for an Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract to build prototypes that incorporate a lightweight combat vehicle design while still providing mobility and lethality for U.S. Army units. Such a vehicle will enable freedom of movement and action, specifically for restrictive, urban operations but tailorable for full-spectrum combat environments.

In November 2017, it was announced that he U.S. Army issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase of its Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) program. To maximize competition, the U.S. Army anticipates awarding up to two contracts for the EMD phase in early Fiscal Year 2019.

The MPF capability is one of the most critical needs for the Army, particularly for its Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCT) who lack protected, long range, cyber resilient precision direct fire capability for early entry operations. IBCTs require this capability to be employed in austere and unpredictable locations allowing them to avoid the enemy's strengths and rapidly transition to offensive operations and exploit the initiative.

The ST Kinetics’ Next Generation Armored Fighting Vehicle was presented for the first time to the public during the Singapore AirShow in February 2017. The vehicle is powered by a 710 hp MTU 8V-199 TE20 diesel coupled to a Kinetics Drive Solution (KDS) HMX3000, which provides a power-to-weight ratio of 24.5 hp/tone. This enables the vehicle to achieve a maximum stated speed of 70 km/h and operating range of 500 km.

The heart of the Cockerill 3000 Series is a single modular, scalable turret platform that uses open physical and electronic architectures. This single core platform is designed to accept a large variety of systems and subsystems. For example the Cockerill 3000 Series platform will accept a wide range of weapons from 25mm to 105mm. The Cockerill Series 3105 turret is armed with one 105mm NATO-standard high-pressure tank gun with optional Gun Launched Anti-Tank Guided Missiles capabilities.