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| US Army to Announce a Replacement for the 'M2 Bradley' Infantry Fighting Vehicle |
International Military - The US Army (US Army) will soon announce the winner of the Optional Manned Combat Vehicle (OMFV) program to replace the M2 Bradley IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle). The US Army will select two vendors as finalists to build a total of 14 vehicle prototypes for further evaluation.
It is known, M2 Bradley has been in operation since 1981. This vehicle is lined up to transport infantry troops on the battlefield, provide fire support, or destroy enemy combat vehicles. There are four candidates for this OMFV program. They are Oshkosh Defense/Hanwa, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), and American Rheinmetall Vehicles (Raytheon/Rheinmetall).
Previously, on March 29 2019, the US Army issued a Request for Proposal to the industry for the OMFV program. The requirements set include that the vehicle must be aggressive and can be moved by air using two C-17 transport aircraft. It is also possible to accommodate additional armor, equipped with 30 mm or 50 mm guns, and second or third generation FLIR (forward looking infrared) devices.
Of the four candidates, BAE Systems first submitted the fifth-generation CV-90 ranpur, equipped with a 35 mm or 50 mm canon provided by Northrop Grumman. The CV-90 features IMI Israel's Iron Fist Active Protection System (APS). The cabin accommodates a crew of three and five infantrymen.
The second GDLS contestant proposed the Griffin III ranpur, which used a British-built Ajax reconnaissance vehicle chassis. The Griffin III is fitted with a 50 mm gun and can accommodate APS and carry unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The cabin accommodates a crew of two and six infantrymen.
The third participant is Raytheon/Rheinmetall which offers the Lynx range. Equipped with a 50 mm canon also accommodates APS devices and carries UAVs. The cabin accommodates a crew of three and six infantrymen.
Lastly, Oshkosh Defense partnered with the Hanwha Defense USA company, proposing a Redback-based ranpur made by South Korea's Hanwa. The Redback is equipped with a SAMSON turret made by Rafael Israel which is armed with a 30 mm cannon. The cabin accommodates a crew of three and eight infantrymen.