Jane Edwards
The U.S. Special Operations Command held an industry day in February to discuss with vendors its performance specifications and technical requirements for the Purpose Built Non-Standard Commercial Vehicle program, The Drive reported Wednesday.
The PB-NSCV program seeks to facilitate the procurement of a purpose-built vehicle with a common chassis and drivetrain designed to replace SOCOM’s fleet of more than 500 modified sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks by 2020.
The command expects its proposed vehicle to have a lifecycle of 10 to 15 years and a body designed to accommodate “interchangeable skins†to mimic various civilian vehicles.
The vehicle should have a curb weight of approximately 9,500 pounds, accommodate at least 12,500 pounds in full gross weight and fit inside a Boeing-built MH-47 Chinook helicopter.
SOCOM expects the vehicle to have a modular design to support the integration of encrypted communication systems, signal intelligence tools for enemy movement tracking, systems to jam improvised explosive devices and weapon systems such as .50 caliber M2 machine guns and remote weapon stations.
The command intends to host a “vehicle rodeo†early next year with plans to issue a solicitation by the end of 2019, the report added.
