Jane Edwards
The U.S. Army looks to issue a request for proposals in 2018 to acquire a light ground mobility vehicle designed for transportation of infantry troops across future combat zones, Defense News reported Thursday.
Col. Shane Fullmer, joint light tactical vehicles program manager at the Army, told reporters at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting the service could release an RFP “some time next year†in support of a full and open competition for the proposed light ground vehicle.
Fullmer said the Army is interested in a sling-loadable vehicle that can be attached to a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
Potential contenders for the light vehicle program such as General Dynamics, Polaris Defense and AM General have exhibited their models at the AUSA event.
General Dynamics’ ordnance and tactical systems business is expected to propose its Flyer 72 vehicle, which was selected by the U.S. Special Operations Command to support the Ground Mobility Vehicle 1.1 program.
Polaris Defense is projected to offer its Dagor combat vehicle and has partnered with Science Applications International Corp. in pursuit of the light GMV competition.
AM General has developed a 6,300-pound variant of Humvee designed to transport a nine-man squad and looks to reduce the vehicle’s weight in order to compete for the Army program, the report added.
