Need for New Ground Combat Vehicle

The Army needs a new, next-generation Ground Combat Vehicle able to accommodate new technologies as they emerge, defend against a wide range of current and future threats and deliver a full nine-man squad under armor into the full spectrum of military operations. Army leaders underscored the need for development of a Ground Combat Vehicle, as an upgraded Bradley does not have the capacity to deliver a nine-man infantry squad into battle a critical requirement given how the Army conducts operations. Army leaders also stressed that current vehicles cannot accommodate future advances in the areas of armor protection, computing and networking technologies. The size, weight and power considerations impose clear limits on how much current vehicles can be upgraded. Unlike the Bradley, the Ground Combat Vehicle will be designed to deliver a full nine-man squad under armor to the battlefield, something considered crucial to the Army's ability to conduct fire and maneuver in close-quarters fighting in complex terrain. Maintaining small tactical unit integrity is consistent with the Army's Operating Concept which calls for Combined Arms Maneuver and Wide Area Security - ideas which underscore the expectation that the Army will need to move small units across a non-linear battlefield able to conduct a full range of military operations. Keeping the nine-man squad intact allows company commanders and platoon leaders to better focus on command of operations and not constrain their movement and positioning due to transporting squad members. Furthermore, the Ground Combat Vehicle would be of critical assistance in today's current combat environments in Iraq and Afghanistan in addition to being helpful against anticipated future threats. The Ground Combat Vehicle will be built with an incremental ability to add or remove armor protections as dictated by the threat level and what becomes available by way of new technologies.

The RFP outlines four big priorities for the Ground Combat Vehicle:

Force protection - to ensure the new vehicle can protect Soldiers against a wide range of current and future threats

Capacity - the ability to transport a nine-Soldier Infantry Squad to the battle, under armor

Full-spectrum operations - modular armor, open architecture, and growth potential;

Delivery time - designed to ensure the vehicle is delivered to Soldiers within seven years from the contract award

The Army plans to award up to three 24-month Technology Demonstration contracts.
The RFP outlines the need for mature technology and clear cost goals. The RFP states that the government intends to hit a target unit-manufacturing cost of $9-10.5 million per vehicle with operational sustainment costs of $200 per mile.

Kris Osborn