FCS changes

Future Combat Systems (FCS) has come under a lot of examination and editorializing recently. In response the Army has indicated the program will be taking a new direction, or rather, moving program emphasis around.

The Army has announced that it will accelerate the delivery of FCS capabilities to infantry brigade combat teams (IBCTs). These technologies will include "Unattended Ground Sensors, the Non Line of Sight-Launch System and network kits for the HMMWV platform. Additionally, the Class I Block 0 Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) and the Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV)".

More details here.

Source: U.S. Army

HMMWV mods contracted

AM General of South Bend, Ind. has been awarded a $25,741,548.80 firm-fixed contract for reliability enhanced vehicle engineering change engineering change proposals on high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles.

The work will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009.

Tank-automotive and Armaments Command is the contracting activity.

Source: DoD

TACOM contracts

Oshkosh Truck Corp. has been awarded a $121,242,434 firm-fixed price contract for a modification to the family of heavy tactical vehicles, load handling system, and wreckers, as well as the addition of 233 vehicles, and the cost of the federal retailers excise tax associated with the vehicles. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2009.

AM General of South Bend, Ind., has gotten a $24,941,728 firm-fixed price contract for the addition of 255 high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles to contract. Work will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009.

BAE Systems, Tactical Vehicle Systems Limited Partnership, Sealy, Texas has received a $34,050,460 firm-fixed price and cost-reimbursement contract for the award of a ceiling price change order modification for the procurement of long-term armor strategy B kits for the family of medium tactical vehicles. Work will be is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, 2008.

TACOM in Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity for these three contracts.

Source: DoD

HUMVEE contract awarded

AM General has been awarded a $187,750,244 firm-fixed price contract for 1,470 High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles. Work will be performed at Mishawaka, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009.

Test and Automotive Command, TACOM., is the contracting activity.

Source DoD

More Humvee contracts

AM General has been awarded two High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles contracts.

The first is a $11,601,414 firm-fixed price contract for 101 EA HMMWVs. The second contract is for 54 Humvees and is worth $5,789,443.

Work on both contracts will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. TACOM is the contracting activity.

Source: DoD
Photo: AM General

In the age of MRAPs a humvee order

The U.S. Army has awarded AM General, LLC, South Bend, Ind. a $650,079,405 firm-fixed price contract for 4,526 high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles.

Work will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

One bid was solicited on Mar. 17, 2006. TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity.

Other HMMWV, related, stories here.

Source: DoD
Photo: AMC General

JLTV update

An RFP has been issued for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).

"JLTV will replace all the HMMWVs for the Marine Corps and will be the centerpiece of the light tactical wheeled vehicle fleet as part of the tactical mobility triad to maintain our expeditionary capability," Lt. Col. Ben Garza, JLTV program manager for the Marine Corps at Quantico, Va., said.

Like the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle will stress a commonality of capabilities and components. There are expected to be 10 sub-configurations in three different payload categories.

Sources: Various

Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Update

For over twenty years the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, HMMWV or "humvee", has been quite the success story. Thousands have been produced for the U.S. Armed Forces. More than a dozen variants were created from an ambulance to a TOW missile carrier. It even spawned the civilian Hummer.

The days of the HMMWV are, however, numbered. Like it's predecessor the Jeep, the HMMWV was designed for use behind the front lines. Times and the battlefront have changed. These vehicles were finding themselves confronted by heavy small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), IEDs and other threats they were never designed to face

In response the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program was launched. JLTV program is looking to procure an acceptable next-generation vehicle probably about half the size and price of an MRAP. Speed and mobility will be demanded in five variants: Reconnaissance; Utility; Combat/Tactical and C2. This means billions of dollars and this story will really begin to heat up with an expected RFP in February.

The most recent news on this front is an announced new partnership. Northrop Grumman has joined with Oshkosh Trucks to compete with Boeing/Textron, General Dynamics/Force Protection and Lockheed Martin/Armor Holdings (now part of BAE). Stay tuned.

Sources: Various

More tansparent gun shields ordered

It's a cramped and exposed environment in an MRAP or HMMWV "turret".

Protection and visibility are very important. BAE received a contract in 2005 to provide more than 1,000 Marine Corps Transparent Armor Gun Shields (MCTAGS) kits and spares to support U.S. Marine Corps. An order for an additional 300 has been announced at a cost of $6 million.

MCTAGS are currently used on a variety of vehicles including the M113, HMMWV and MRAPS.

Sources: Various