The Army is shooting for the end of January to meet with companies that want to help develop the service's next-generation autonomous launcher, a new notice reveals.
The request for information, posted this morning, says the Army is looking for companies interested in sliding into the role of weapon system integrator for the Common Autonomous Multidomain Launcher (CAML), designed as the first mobile, optionally manned launcher with cross-domain fires capability.
The notice should lead to an industry day, tentatively set for Jan. 21 and Jan. 22.
“The scope of this effort is to integrate and test a complete CAML system no later than 18 months from contract award,” the RFI says.
That comes after a senior leader at Oshkosh Defense told Inside Defense in October that contracts were awarded and prototyping for the program is already underway following a June request for solutions brief from the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office’s (RCCTO), which at the time was tasked with rapidly developing CAML.
An Army spokesperson told Inside Defense Nov. 18 that they could not provide an update on the program in response to prototyping timeline questions.
The newly-formed Portfolio Acquisition Executive Fires (PAE Fires), led by Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano and based out of Redstone Arsenal, AL, put out today’s notice in an effort to find industry sources that can “conduct sub-system integration of separately procured autonomous mobility platforms and munitions pallets to build the CAML system,” the RFI says.
Vendors in charge of the weapon system integration will likely oversee subsystem requirements development, build a system architecture, control test and evaluation efforts as well as take charge of logistics and sustainment for the launcher “for up to five years,” among other responsibilities like meeting modular open system and size, weight and power requirements, the RFI says.
Apart from being autonomous -- or optionally-crewed -- the new launcher also needs to be air-transportable and “highly mobile,” according to the RFI.
PAE Fires has absorbed “significant elements” of the RCCTO portfolio, Inside Defense previously reported. The RFI notes CAML is now a product office under the newly formed PAE.
“CAML reduces emplacement and displacement times, provides improved crew survivability, reloads rapidly, adds cross-country mobility, increases overall effectiveness, and is capable of worldwide deployment and operations,” according to the RFI.
Only U.S. companies are encouraged to reply by detailing their capability and experience, the RFI says. Responses are due by midday Dec. 15.