OMFV concept in closer selection for U.S. Army

The U.S. Army has awarded American Rheinmetall Vehicles – a subsidiary based in Sterling Heights, Michigan of the leading defense company Rheinmetall – a development contract for Phase 2 of the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program. American Rheinmetall Vehicles will conduct this Digital Design Phase in collaboration with its partners, including leading defense industry companies such as Raytheon Technologies, L3Harris Technologies, Textron Systems, and Allison Transmission.

The OMFV program of the U.S. Army is a ground forces modernization program aimed at replacing nearly 3,800 Bradley combat vehicles in the Armored Brigade Combat Teams of the U.S. Army.

"The selection is an outstanding success for us and the entire Team Lynx," said Matt Warnick, CEO of American Rheinmetall Vehicles. "With this contract, we are taking another important step forward to offer the U.S. Army a compelling combination of next-generation technology, partnership, and industrial capabilities for the OMFV program. This is what we are aiming for in Team Lynx."

Team Lynx will work with the U.S. Army on the digital design and development of its OMFV concept, using Rheinmetall's innovative Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle as the starting point for the design. The Team Lynx concept will provide the U.S. Army with a next-generation infantry fighting vehicle featuring a novel platform with a modular, open system architecture. This enables the rapid integration of new capabilities as they become available, ensuring superiority in today's and tomorrow's operational environments.

Variants of the Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle offered by American Rheinmetall Vehicles in the OMFV program are gaining ground in several countries around the world. In 2020, the Hungarian Army became the first customer and ordered over 218 vehicles to be produced in the customer's country.

In Australia, Rheinmetall was selected alongside another combat vehicle manufacturer for a troop testing phase as part of the Land 400 Phase 3 program. During this phase, the vehicle undergoes extensive testing, including field trials, ballistics and blast tests, and mobility tests. The Lynx KF41 meets a high standard.

The digital design phase marks the beginning of the OMFV program and will continue until early 2023 to lay the foundation for future development and production phases. Team Lynx is developing industrialization plans to deliver the OMFV as a next-generation vehicle "Made in the USA". Thus, Team Lynx will expand the manufacturing capacities of the U.S. Department of Defense and introduce advanced manufacturing capabilities. The competition for Phase 3 (Detailed Design) is expected to begin in 2023, followed by Phase 4 (Prototype Build and Test), which will lead to government testing in early 2026.

"We at American Rheinmetall are incredibly proud of our commitment to the U.S. Army, to our soldiers, and to advanced American technology, design, and production," said Stephen Hedger, CEO of American Rheinmetall Defense, the parent company of the U.S.-based Rheinmetall companies.

About Team Lynx American Rheinmetall Vehicles

American Rheinmetall Vehicles, based in Sterling Heights, Michigan, offers outstanding experience in the design, development, and operation of combat vehicles in collaboration with its sister companies worldwide. Rheinmetall's Lynx KF41 features a modular, open architecture, next-generation targeting optics and fire control technology, an airburst-capable main gun, modern ATGMs, integrated active protection, and growth capacity. This makes it the ideal platform for American Rheinmetall Vehicles' Lynx OMFV concept. www.rheinmetall-arv-us.com

American Rheinmetall Vehicles is part of the American Rheinmetall family, which includes American Rheinmetall Munitions in Stafford, VA, American Rheinmetall Systems in Biddeford, ME, and the U.S. parent company American Rheinmetall Defense in Reston, VA.

Raytheon Technologies

Raytheon Technologies, one of the world's largest and most capable aerospace and defense companies, has expertise in digital design, modeling and simulation, and integrating complex systems onto platforms. The company offers an extensive portfolio of guidance systems, sensors, and effectors, enhancing conceptual capability and supporting design development. www.rtx.com

L3Harris Technologies

L3Harris develops, builds, and integrates mission systems for ground, sea, air, and space-based military platforms. L3Harris has extensive experience in developing robust platform electronics and integrating sensor and communication systems, bringing extensive expertise in data protection and cybersecurity programs and significant investment in MOSA systems. www.l3harris.com

Textron Systems

Textron Systems is a global leader in unmanned air, sea, and land platforms, services, and support for customers in aerospace and defense. Textron Systems' innovative business units develop, manufacture, distribute, and support comprehensive solutions that expand customer capabilities and provide added value, leveraging their flexibility and extensive expertise. www.textronsystems.com

Allison Transmission

Allison Transmission, the world's largest manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions, brings its expertise in transmissions for combat vehicles. The provider of our next-generation transmission paves the way for hybrid drive capability. www.allisontransmission.com