Photo: BAE Systems
The U.S Army describes the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) as being a platform capable of moving soldiers “to a point of positional advantage to engage in close combat and deliver decisive lethality during the execution of combined arms maneuver.” For the rest of us, that would be the replacement for the all-too-known M2 Bradley.
OMFV seeks to come up with a replacement platform by the end of the decade. To that end, the Army announced last week the five companies allowed in Phase II of the development. They are Point Blank Enterprises, Oshkosh, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, and Rheinmetall.
During this phase, the companies will have to come up with digital designs of their machines, and not an actual build. Prototypes are expected only in Phase IV, and the actual winner of the contract should be announced sometime in 2027.
That means, at least for now, there’s no actual OMFV to admire. Sure, the Rheinmetall-made Lynx KF41, and General Dynamics’ Griffin III could be seen as starting points for the future machine, but we can’t wait for the rest of the pack to unveil their proposals.
The main photo of this piece shows something BAE Systems released last week. We tampered with it, somewhat unprofessionally making the original photo brighter, so that we can distinguish something.
BAE itself says its solution will incorporate a host of targeting systems that will share threat and target data. We’re also told we are to expect a modular system that would allow “rapid upgrades and technology refresh for quick insertion of new innovations or to counter emerging threats,” but that’s about it from this front for now.
"The OMFV will bring a transformative change to the battlefield, providing new technology and new capabilities to our formations," said in a statement Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross Functional Team.
During this phase, the companies will have to come up with digital designs of their machines, and not an actual build. Prototypes are expected only in Phase IV, and the actual winner of the contract should be announced sometime in 2027.
That means, at least for now, there’s no actual OMFV to admire. Sure, the Rheinmetall-made Lynx KF41, and General Dynamics’ Griffin III could be seen as starting points for the future machine, but we can’t wait for the rest of the pack to unveil their proposals.
The main photo of this piece shows something BAE Systems released last week. We tampered with it, somewhat unprofessionally making the original photo brighter, so that we can distinguish something.
BAE itself says its solution will incorporate a host of targeting systems that will share threat and target data. We’re also told we are to expect a modular system that would allow “rapid upgrades and technology refresh for quick insertion of new innovations or to counter emerging threats,” but that’s about it from this front for now.
"The OMFV will bring a transformative change to the battlefield, providing new technology and new capabilities to our formations," said in a statement Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman, director of the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross Functional Team.
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