U.S. Army Releases Draft RFP for OMFV Preliminary Digital Design Phase

The U.S. Army issued a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) Preliminary Digital Design phase on July 17.

Raytheon/Rheinmetall Lynx Prototype

The draft RFP describes the transformational vision for OMFV, outlines broad performance specifications and characteristics, and places a great deal of emphasis on a squad-focused platform. It will gather additional industry feedback prior to the final RFP release for this phase later this year.

“As we continue to progress through the first phase of our five-phased approach for the OMFV program, communication, inclusive feedback and innovative thinking from industry remains key,” said Maj. Gen. Brian Cummings, the Army’s program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems. “We are looking forward to receiving feedback and learning from industry what’s in the realm of the possible as we continue to develop this truly transformational vehicle for our Soldiers.”

“Accurately defining the desired set of capabilities without over-constraining the design is critically important,” said Brig. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross Functional Team (NGCV CFT). “The Army is committed to open communication with industry to ensure the characteristics and eventual requirements of the OMFV are informed by technological advances.”

The draft RFP will be open for feedback for 40 days, and the feedback received from industry will help shape additional industry engagements and ultimately the final RFP for this phase of the program. The final RFP for the Preliminary Digital Design phase is planned to result in the award of up to five contracts in June of 2021 under a full and open competition.

“We do not want to box industry into a solution,” said Cummings. “We want to incentivize industry as they lean forward and think creatively to bring the Army innovative technologies and solutions necessary to achieve our vision – both in terms of the ability to integrate newer technology we are seeing today and leaving space for future growth on the OMFV platform.”

As stated earlier this year, the Army is planning a five-phased approach to design, prototype, test and produce the OMFV. This approach focuses on encouraging innovation, maximizing competition throughout the entire program, and producing a transformational infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) that will dominate maneuver in Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).

U.S. Army OMFV Program

The Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program is seeking to replace the U.S. Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV).

The OMFV program is part of the larger Next Generation Combat Vehicles (NGCV) program. Other programs under NGCV are Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, or AMPV; Mobile Protected Firepower, or MPF; future robotic combat vehicles, or RCV; and the next-generation main battle tank.

The NGCV-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. NGCV must exceed current capabilities while overmatching similar threat class systems.

The vehicle 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 aircraft 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.