US Army awards contract to BAE Systems for Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle OMFV program.

According to information released on July 23, 2021, The U.S. Army has awarded BAE Systems a contract for the concept development phase of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program.
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BAE Systems CV90 MKIV tracked armored IFV Infantry Fighting Vehicle. (Picture source BAE Systems)

During this phase, BAE Systems will further develop a design that will meet - with ample growth and adaptability - the Army’s needs for lethality, mobility and survivability on future battlefields.

BAE Systems, along with teammate Elbit Systems of America, will explore crew automation, active protection, and other transformational combat vehicle technologies and turret solutions that will deliver the advanced warfighting capabilities the Army needs for the future.

BAE Systems’ OMFV design will provide a highly maneuverable and survivable solution for the Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) to engage in close combat and deliver decisive lethality. BAE Systems’ solution will accommodate a host of targeting systems that will share threat and target data across the ABCT team, and will help protect soldiers as they get to the fight.

BAE Systems’ OMFV concept is an integrated system of systems based on a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), which allows for rapid upgrades and technology refresh for quick insertion of new innovations or to counter emerging threats. MOSA solutions also help lower lifecycle sustainment costs and enable commonality across platforms.

In June 2018, in part due to congressional concerns, the Army announced a new modernization strategy and designated the Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) as the program to replace the M-2 Bradley. In October 2018, Army leadership decided to redesignate the NGCV as the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) and to add additional vehicle programs to what would be called the NGCV Program.

The M-2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) , which has been in service since 1981, is an Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) used to transport infantry on the battlefield and provide fire support to dismounted troops and suppress or destroy enemy fighting vehicles. Updated numerous times since its introduction, the M-2 Bradley is widely considered to have reached the technological limits of its capacity to accommodate new electronics, armor, and defense systems.

According to U.S. congress report, BAE Systems had proposed its fifth-generation CV-90. The CV-90 was first fielded in Europe in the 1990s. The latest version mounted a 35 mm cannon provided by Northrop Grumman that can accommodate 50 mm munitions. The CV-90 featured the Israeli IMI Systems Iron Fist Active Protection System (APS). The CV-90 could accommodate a three-person crew and five infantry soldiers.