L3Harris Technologies and German integrated technology group Rheinmetall’s subsidiary American Rheinmetall Vehicles have signed a teaming agreement to jointly develop the U.S. Army’s new Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV), which will replace the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle.
The agreement combines L3Harris’ open system design and equipment manufacturing leadership with the maturity and modularity of American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ Lynx next-generation fighting vehicle for an OMFV offering that is low-risk and easily upgradable.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles, the prime contractor, selected L3Harris to provide vehicle mission systems, cybersecurity and its modular open systems approach (MOSA) for the Lynx. L3Harris’ MOSA can enable cross-platform and cross-domain commonality of parts and subsystems to allow for easy and affordable upgrades.
“We have a long history providing similar support to multiple platforms using our MOSA approach for mission systems and electronic warfare,” said James Gear, Vice President, L3Harris Domestic Business Development. “We look forward to working with American Rheinmetall Vehicles to further expand into the ground defense vehicle market.”
“We are excited to have L3Harris join our growing team to support the U.S. Army’s OMFV program,” said Mathew Warnick, Managing Director for American Rheinmetall Vehicles. “Their experience in open architecture, communications, and cybersecurity bring tremendous capability to the American Rheinmetall Vehicles team as we prepare our digitally engineered OMFV to provide our Soldiers overmatch now and for the future.”
The design approach is grounded in the reuse of technologies and lessons from the family of L3Harris programs and engagements around the Army’s modular open aviation and ground endeavors.
Likely winner will be GD, they own their offering have no need to pay a licensing fee, and have an established American manufacturing base and have already manufactured the Griffin II MPF, which is based on the GD OMFV offering.
Raytheon had been partnered with Rheinmetall. Wonder why they pulled the plug?