FLIR looking to get in on OMFV competition

FLIR Systems executives on a media call today said the company has technology that would be applicable to the Army's Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program and is interested in potentially joining in on a vehicle in the future.

"We are certainly open to teaming on OMFV and providing that technology to various partners," Tom Frost, vice president and general manager of unmanned ground systems and integrated solutions, said.

The company is partnered with Textron on its Ripsaw M5 for the Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle effort, which is now going through soldier experiments.

Troy Boonstra, vice president of product management-sensors, said they are "seeing a lot of pull" from multiple original equipment manufacturers in the 360-degree situational awareness space, which is a desired component of the future OMFV.

If Textron moves forward in RCV-M, "it becomes sort of a demonstration platform for future capability, and we're certainly monitoring OMFV closely."

Meanwhile, the team is developing its RCV-M prototypes and is on schedule to deliver them early next year for evaluation with the Army.