Land Warfare, Pentagon

No protests: Army clears hurdle to keep OMFV — now XM30 — development work rolling

WASHINGTON — With no companies filing a protest with a government watchdog over the Army’s recent Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) downselect, the service appears to have sidestepped one landmine that could have halted development in its tracks, according to an Army source.

Late last month the service picked American Rheinmetall and General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) to proceed with the next two phases of the program, renamed the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, meant to replace the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.

Companies the service did not select — a pool that may have included unknown contenders along with those who publicly threw their hats in the ring: BAE Systems, Oshkosh Defense, and Point Blank Enterprises — had different windows of time to file a protest with the Government Accountability Office based on factors like the service-to-industry debrief timeline. A service official said that protest window closed Monday for all companies, and there hasn’t been a protest. As of this morning, the GAO’s online docket did not include a protest notice.

A spokesperson for BAE Systems explained last week that the company opted not to appeal the Army’s decision after “careful evaluation and debrief conversations” with the service.

“While we are disappointed with the result, we remain focused on producing quality vehicles and expanded capabilities for soldiers,” the BAE spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement on July 18. “We look forward to continuing to be a reliable partner for the US Army and finding new ways to innovate alongside them in the future.”

Oshkosh Defense, meanwhile, said last week that it “won’t comment on any potential legal actions.”

“Oshkosh is extremely proud of our team’s work on the OMFV program, the world-class team that we assembled, and the capabilities we’ve demonstrated in the combat vehicle market,” a spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement also on July 18. “As we move forward, we remain committed to supporting the US armed forces in the design and delivery of the world’s most capable military vehicles and technology solutions that enable our Warfighters to perform their missions and return home safely.”

Point Blank did not respond to Breaking Defense’s request for comment, and the Army did not disclose how many other contenders summited bids on this phase of the program. 

For now, it appears that Rheinmetall and GDLS can march ahead with their respective XM30 designs, endeavors funded via a $1.6 billion development funding pot the service has divided up.

The two companies will use the funds for the next two program phases and ultimately lead to what’s expected to be a single winner. For the next stage, Phase 3, the teams will be tasked with focusing on detailed design activities to mature their vehicle blueprint. That phase is expected to culminate in a critical design review that leads into Phase 4, or prototype build and test activities.

“Focusing our resources on two [teams] ensures that both will be properly funded: it was a resource informed decision, but one that also lets us retain competition,” Doug Bush, the head of Army acquisition, told reporters on June 26. “It’s kind of… a sweet spot between the two demands we had.”

Each team has disclosed various levels of detail about their designs. However, Brig. Gen. Geoffrey Norman, the director of the next-general combat vehicle cross-functional team, said last month that each tracked combat vehicle will fit eight soldiers — two crew members and six dismount — and feature a remote turret, the developmental XM913 50-millimeter cannon, anti-tank guided missiles, machine guns, and an active-protection system to shoot down incoming aerial threats like rocket-propelled grenades.

If the Army keeps the program on track, and Congress keeps the dollars flowing, the service expects to crown an ultimate victor in 2027. That winning team may lay claim to a $45 billion production deal.