iscover
Rheinmetall has secured a contract for the digital design of a fighting vehicle concept.
The US Army has awarded American Rheinmetall Vehicles — a subsidiary of global defence prime Rheinmetall — a developmental contract for the phase 2 digital design of its optionally manned fighting vehicle (OMFV) program.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles will work alongside a group of industry partners, including Raytheon Technologies, L3Harris Technologies, Textron Systems and Allison Transmission to design the OMFV, which is expected to replace nearly 3,800 Bradley Fighting Vehicles among the US Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Teams.
Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is set to be used as the point of departure for the design, which will feature a modular open systems architecture.
This is expected to enable rapid insertion of new capabilities as they become available, supporting current and future overmatch.
“This is a great win for American Rheinmetall Vehicles and Team Lynx as a whole,” said Matt Warnick, managing director of American Rheinmetall Vehicles, said.
“With this contract award, we take another important step forward in bringing the kind of next-generation technology solution, partnership and industrial capability the US Army deserves and that Team Lynx is so well prepared to deliver for the OMFV program.”
The digital design phase kicks off the OMFV program will run through to 2023, followed by future development and production phases.
“We are incredibly proud at American Rheinmetall of the commitment we are making to the US Army, to Soldiers and to advanced American technology, design and production,” Stephen Hedger, CEO at American Rheinmetall Defense, said.
The Lynx IFV is currently being considered by a number of militaries around the world, including the Australian Defence Force.
The Commonwealth government down-selected the Lynx as part of its $18-$27 billion LAND 400 Phase 3 program to replace the Army’s existing M113 fleet.
Three Lynx vehicles are currently competing against Hanwha’s Redback IFVs in risk mitigation activity trials conducted in Australia, which include lethality, mobility and blast testing.
If selected for the LAND 400 program, RDA has committed to manufacturing the Lynx fleet in Queensland at its new Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Redbank, south-west of Brisbane.
[Related: Rheinmetall wins Bundeswehr contract]
