The Next-Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) is a U.S. Army program intended to procure a variety of armored vehicles to add new capabilities to U.S. Army units and replace existing platforms that are nearing the end of their service life. Optionally-Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) is the replacement for the M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) is the replacement for the M113 armored personnel carrier.
BAE Systems, maker of the U.S. Army’s mainstay M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, has formally submitted a proposal to replace it. The company said it is working with Israel-based Elbit Systems’ US subsidiary to pursue the programme. BAE’s press release features a shadowy silhouette of a previously unseen vehicle. It bears some family resemblance to the Bradley and its modernized offshoot, the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), but it is distinctly different from either.
On 23 December 2014, BAE Systems was awarded a $383 million contract to begin the Engineering, Manufacturing, and Development (EMD) phase of the AMPV program. The first AMPV prototype was rolled out on 15 December 2016, and the first production vehicles began rolling out in September 2020. It also contains the option to begin Low-Rate Initial Production immediately following the EMD’s conclusion to produce an additional 289 vehicles for the total contract value of $1.2 billion.
BAE System did announce last fall that it was partnering with the Elbit System of America to develop and integrate advanced operational capabilities for combat vehicles. Elbit System is a world leader in advanced unmanned turret design. The company has also been extensively involved in the Israeli military’s Carmel project to develop advanced armored vehicles with sophisticated sensors feeding a cockpit of the kind that OMFV would probably require.
