USA: General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and American Rheinmetall Vehicles have been selected by the Pentagon as the two finalists in the race to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
The new XM30 Mechanised Infantry Combat Vehicle, which the US Army hopes will be finished some time before 2030, will be built by the two weapons juggernauts, according to an announcement made on Monday by the US Army.
Defence News reports that the Pentagon expects to invest roughly $45 billion in the project by the time it is finished, with contracts for the early development stage totaling $1.6 billion between the two companies. When the military decides how many units to order in 2027, a winner will be announced, and the first vehicles are expected to be in service by 2029. The recipients of the award could be required to create up to 11 different prototypes before that.
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The XM30, also known as the "Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle," will resemble the Bradley in that it is a tracked vehicle with anti-tank capabilities. However, it is anticipated to have a hybrid electric engine and some autonomous systems, according to the Army.
2019 saw the holding of a similar competition to replace the Bradley, but the Pentagon was forced to abandon its plans after receiving just one submission. It then launched a new effort, and before a decision was made on Monday, five weapons companies submitted bids, including Britain's BAE Systems, which made the Bradley.
However, Doug Bush, the Army's assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics, and technology, explained that officials wanted to make sure they had enough resources to keep the programme afloat. The military had hoped to select three companies for the detailed design and prototyping phase of development.
He told reporters on Monday, "We now have information we didn't have before, including the bids themselves, which informed us about the overall resources needed by the programme.
The M1 Abrams main battle tank and the Stryker wheeled armoured vehicle are among the items produced by GDLS. The Leopard tank was created by the German company Rheinmetall, and several NATO members have also donated them to Ukraine.
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The White House's decision to provide Ukrainian troops with the Bradley Fighting Vehicle as part of more than $40 billion in direct military assistance since the outbreak of the conflict with Russia last year has garnered media attention in recent months.
The New York Times reports that at least 17 of the 113 Bradleys provided—or about 15% of the total—have already been harmed or destroyed by Russian forces.
