Defense Contractors Battle for Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle Contract
The Army intends to replace Bradley as an optional manned combat vehicle to be robotic, successful in transporting infantry into enemy enemy fire, surviving armored attacks and, perhaps most importantly, extremely deadly.
Part of this sought-after lethality relates to a quick boost to reduce sensor-to-shooter time by integrating advanced sensors, fire control, precision weapons, and artificial intelligence calculations. Competitors in the defense industry are now offering their best capabilities to the military, hoping to be selected to enter the next phase of production contracts, in which prototypes are built and the new vehicle takes several key steps toward final deployment.
An industrial team that is now building an American version of the Lynx armored infantry vehicle is led by German combat vehicle manufacturer Rheinmetall Defense and is backed by Raytheon, Textron Systems, L3 Harris and Allison Transmission. The group of defense contractors must build an American version of the Lynx, specially designed to meet the requirements of the US military and be built in the United States. For example, American Rheinmetall Vehicles is exploring further expansion in the United States and plans to build its new Lynx OMFV at Textron Systems armored vehicle facility in the United States, if selected.
For example, Raytheon has been involved in the Lynx project for many years and manages numerous US sites, including technology development and production facilities. Specific to his engagement with lynx, Raytheon relies on guidance, sounding, artificial intelligence and modern weapons technology.
“We are able to use our extensive experience with the integration of sophisticated mission systems on platforms, the complete shooting sensor that can help inform requirements, influence design and ultimately shape what will be the next generation , progress fighter system, “said Brad Barnard, senior director of Raytheon’s defense systems area for an optional manned combat vehicle National interest.
Raytheon is also doing a lot of digital engineering with its emerging weapon systems, an approach that will support the ongoing maturation and adaptation of combat requirements.
“We can help provide critical tools and analysis that will support the military’s desire to refine requirements and develop a concept quickly, iteratively,” Barnard said.
All members of team talk for a major ongoing focus on vehicle development, which includes the use of computer simulations and digital engineering, a rapidly evolving method for evaluating various design models, testing weapons and sensor performance, and perhaps most importantly, providing a continuous upgrade opportunity through the use of open technical standards. The idea is to enable software and hardware upgrades for mission systems such as sensors, processors or fire control systems with the arrival of new threats. L3 Harris, not surprisingly, contributed significantly to this process.
“With the development of the car, digital engineering will focus on the impacts that the potential has
There may be upgrades in mission efficiency and combat safety. The full digital thread allows this, “said Hugh McFadden, director of strategy and product development for L3Harris.
L3Harris has long been a leader in command and control, an area with a technological focus that is likely to include L3Harris’ historic involvement in a number of programmable radio development programs. Given the crucial role, communications are likely to play in a vehicle like the OMFV – especially with sensors and manned drones – hardened, secure and technologically advanced radio frequency technologies will certainly be in a prominent place. This is especially true in the case of software-defined radio, as it can transmit IP voice, video and data packets over a network of forces without necessarily having to rely on a fixed infrastructure.
Digital engineering has already yielded incredible results with other major weapons development programs, such as the Air Force’s top-secret sixth-generation stealth fighter, hypersonic weapons and the Pentagon a new ICBM, a ground-based strategic deterrent. The process has a rapidly growing ability to reproduce technological specifics of implementation and specific operational war scenarios to support current developments.
“The ability to use all this data during the development lifecycle can allow us to go back and optimize its use and improve field performance,” said Paul Embry, senior scientist in design engineering for L3Harris. National interest. “This representation can be in the form of availability or actual attributes of the system and what it does. Ultimately, it can also allow us to work through what I would call adaptability, which sets out fast and innovative ways to expand the capabilities of the platform once it is deployed. “
Kris Osborn is a security editor at National interest. Osborne previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army – Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. Osborne has also worked as a leading and terrestrial military specialist on national television networks. He is a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel and The History Channel. He also has a Master‘s Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.
Image: Reuters
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