US Army Awards American Rheinmetall Bradley Replacement Contract

The American Rheinmetall-led Team Lynx has been awarded Phase 3 and Phase 4 contracts for its Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) by the US Army.

Team Lynx and General Dynamics are the two remaining competitors in the potential $45 billion five-phased program to replace the four-decade-old Bradley infantry fighting vehicle.

The original competitors included BAE Systems, Oshkosh Defense, and Point Blank Enterprises. 

Phases 3, 4, 5

Phase 3 will see the two companies providing detailed designs for the platform, now renamed the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle.

In the fourth phase, seven to 11 prototypes of the XM30 vehicle will be built for evaluation.

The contract’s total cost exceeds $700 million.

The army plans to down-select one vendor for low-rate initial production in the final phase near the end of 2027, with fielding expected to begin in 2029.

Next-Gen Infantry Combat Vehicle

Team Lynx’s vehicle candidate is based on the design of Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41, featuring a two-soldier crew and a third AI-powered virtual third crew member, Raytheon Technologies said in 2021.

“We will design a vehicle where artificial intelligence detects, identifies, and tracks a target, but leaves the engagement decision to the soldier,” said Raytheon capability analyst Pat McCormack.

Team Lynx comprises American Rheinmetall, Textron Systems, Raytheon Technologies, L3Harris Technologies, Allison Transmission, and Anduril Industries.

General Dynamics is offering the Griffin III technology demonstrator based on the Ajax scout vehicle chassis. 

Features

The Team Lynx vehicle will feature a modular design and open architecture for mission-specific configurations. 

It will be armed with a 50-millimeter cannon and host a variety of drones. 

It is also expected to feature guided missiles, high-performance thermal sights, and accommodate nine soldiers.

The team is aiming to provide “a combat vehicle with superior protection, unsurpassed firepower, and unbeatable mobility,” according to American Rheinmetall.

“Operating with other units or independently, the vehicle can sense, move, and strike in a connected, rapidly changing, complex, and lethal operational environment unlike any Infantry Combat Vehicle before.”