The next round of competition for companies that want to build the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle officially began today, as the Army released the request for proposals for the next two phases of the program to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
Bids are due November 1 for the full and open competition, through which the Army will choose up to three companies to participate in phases three and four of the program: detailed design and prototype manufacturing.
Five companies are already participating in a concept design phase of the program: General Dynamics Land Systems, BAE Systems, Oshkosh Defense, Rheinmetall and Point Blank Enterprises. Contractors that were not chosen for the concept design phase are still allowed to compete for phases three and four.
Most details in the RFP match drafts that the Army released throughout the spring. The most recent change in the drafts, which reduces the number of prototypes companies will produce from 12 to a maximum of 11, was included in the final version.
Contractors will each produce at least seven full prototypes, with options for four more included in the contract, according to the RFP. The contractors will also provide the Army with two ballistic hulls, two turrets, armor coupons, digital model twins and technical data for the vehicles.
Each contractor will receive a single 54-month firm-fixed-price contract for both the detailed design and prototype manufacturing phases, according to the RFP. The Army might allow price adjustments if it chooses to buy the four optional prototypes, as the country sees the highest inflation levels in decades.
“The Army is considering including an Economic Price Adjustment provision for prototype material for the option vehicles,” the RFP states. “Any such provision will be added by amendment.”
Contract awards for the detailed design and prototype phases are scheduled for the third quarter of FY-23, according to the RFP.
There will be another round of competition after the contractors deliver the prototypes, to decide which company will produce the OMFV, according to the RFP. Only contractors that are chosen for the detailed design and prototype phases will be allowed to bid in this final competition, and they must be able to produce the vehicle in the United States.
“The Government intends to require follow-on production of the OMFV to occur in the United States,” the RFP states.
A single contractor will be chosen at the end of FY-27, and first unit equipped is currently planned for FY-29, according to an Army press release.
The Army has not publicized the size of the detailed design and prototyping contracts. But OMFV development spending would more than double under the Army’s FY-23 budget request, to $560 million, as the detailed design phase begins.
Development spending could surge to $1.2 billion in FY-24, according to Army budget documents. This would be a higher funding level than the service requested for any of its ground vehicle procurement programs for FY-23.