US Army awards $1.6 billion contract for XM30 infantry combat vehicle

News, US June 28, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The U.S. Army announced on June 26, 2023, that General Dynamics and Rheinmetall’s XM30 design has been chosen for the next stage of the mechanized infantry combat vehicle program. XM30 would replace the U.S.’s aging fleet of M2 Bradley vehicles.

The two companies have been awarded a combined $1.6 billion contract under the U.S. Army Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program. The initial contract would cover the detailed design, working prototypes, and the testing phase of the production.

The two companies will jointly produce and test 11 working prototypes for the XM30 no later than 2027. The awardees will also be required to deliver “two ballistic hulls and turrets, armor coupons, and digital engineering data.”

The heavily armored vehicle would be able to carry six soldiers, the same number as the Bradley. But while the M2 Bradley required three crew members to operate, the automation capabilities of the XM30 would cut the number to two or one personnel, significantly affecting the vehicle’s size and maneuverability.

The exact capabilities of the XM30 are still unknown, however, General Dynamics has the expertise of the German automotive and arms manufacturer Rheinmetall on its side. General Dynamics is also consulting with the U.S.-based General Motor’s defense branch to produce engines and other mechanical parts for the XM30 prototypes.

As part of Team Lynx, American #Rheinmetall Vehicles is excited to be selected by the #USARMY 🇺🇸 to design, build, and deliver a transformational infantry fighting vehicle with superior protection, unsurpassed firepower, and unbeatable mobility.

The team looks forward to… pic.twitter.com/EyMqJy3NRR
— Rheinmetall (@RheinmetallAG) June 27, 2023

According to the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Army Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Douglas R. Bush said that “The XM30 will replace the Bradley fighting vehicle, bringing new transformational capabilities to the fight; these will include improvements to lethality, soldier-vehicle survivability, and upgradeability beyond the physical and economic limits of the Bradley.”

Bush added that “The modular open system architecture that the XM30 will allow new building technology to be added to the vehicle as that technology matures, ensuring an overwhelming advantage in any potential adversary competition.”

Commanding General of U.S. Army Futures Command Gen. James Rainey said, “Modernization is a central element of Army transformation, which provides capability and lethality for our Soldiers. The nature of our adversaries’ actions and intent, amid rapid and disruptive technological change, demands that the Army continue to transform. Milestones like today’s announcement for XM30 demonstrate we are on a sustainable path to equip today’s Soldiers with modern equipment while we invest in the technologies and systems necessary to build the Army of 2030.”

*^{M2A4 Bradley Fighting Vehicle with M242 25 mm Automatic Cannon. (Image Credit: U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center)}*

The U.S. Army relies on the M2 Bradley vehicles for warzone logistics and personnel movement. The reliable Bradley vehicles have been in use since the 1980s. Produced by the BAE systems, the M2 Bradley vehicles have seen action in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Persian Gulf, and most recently in Ukraine as the U.S. and other Western allies provided the vehicles to the Ukrainian forces.

According to the U.S. Army’s director of the Next-Generation Combat Vehicles Cross-Functional Team Brig. Gen. Geoffrey Norman, “The XM30 brings a transformational change to how our armored brigade combat teams will fight in the future, bringing more lethality to the battlefield and reducing risk for our Soldiers.” He stated that the U.S. Army wants to acquire the prototypes for the new vehicles as soon as possible as it plans to field the vehicles for ground testing by 2029.