General Dynamics Land Systems this month has delivered two Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) preproduction vehicles to the U.S. Army, and two more will be delivered by the end of December. This month’s deliveries come on time to support the U.S. Army’s Soldier Vehicle Assessment, despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. These four vehicles complete the requirement of 12 MPF preproduction vehicles that General Dynamics Land Systems was contracted to produce as part of the Army’s ongoing competition. The previous eight vehicles are undergoing Army and internal testing.
“General Dynamics has listened to the Army, fully understanding its requirements, and worked closely with program management office throughout this fast-paced effort to deliver systems on time to meet programmed test schedules,” said Don Kotchman, Vice President and General Manager of General Dynamics Land Systems U.S. “We are pleased to be able to deliver this capability to the U.S. Army, despite the global pandemic. Our MPF offering is a highly lethal, mobile and survivable direct-fire combat vehicle that can dominate ground threats on the multi-domain battlefield.”
General Dynamics Land Systems’ Mobile Protected Firepower approach leverages both recently developed and battle-tested designs. The highly advanced and powerful combat vehicle is designed to strengthen the Army’s Infantry Brigade Combat Teams. The MPF program is the first under the Army Futures Command Cross-Functional Team for Next Generation Combat Vehicle that fills a critical capability gap. General Dynamics Land Systems’ MPF candidate features a large-caliber cannon and employs a combat proven fire control system. Its ultra-modern diesel engine provides high power-to-weight ratio with extended tactical range. The hydraulic pneumatic suspension allows for superb cross-country mobility.
The U.S. Army expects to take delivery of industry prototypes within 14 months after the FY ’19 contract award, and will get them into the hands of an evaluation unit four months after delivery. Funding for the program includes $176 million for EMD in fiscal 2019, $311 million in fiscal 2020, $360 million in fiscal 2021 and $376 million in fiscal 2022.Only one EMD contractor will be selected for LRIP. The LRIP options include a total of 54 vehicles. LRIP also includes the retrofit of eight EMD vehicles. LRIP option two should not exceed $311 million for 28 vehicles, for a unit price of $11.1 million, according to the RFP.The U.S. Army plans to equip its first unit with MPF vehicles in 2025 and eventually purchase 504 units.
