GENERAL DYNAMICS AND UDLP WIN FCS VEHICLE DESIGN CONTRACTS
15 Dec 03. General Dynamics Land Systems and United Defense Industries Inc. (UDLP)were each awarded a $2bn contract by Boeing (NYSE: BA – News) for engineering development and demonstration of a family of manned ground vehicles for the U.S. Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program.
United Defense and General Dynamics Land Systems together have formed an integrated design team to develop and demonstrate the MGV family, featuring a common platform design and unique mission modules with all the variants linked together by networked battle command. Within the common design team, United Defense has the lead for the following areas: Crew Stations, Propulsion, Armor, Active Protection, Countermeasures, Signature Management and Defensive Armament. United Defense is also responsible for development of the software architecture and development environment for all variants as well as for the common elements of MGV design.
Under its contract General Dynamics is leading the Manned Ground Vehicle common design team through engineering development, testing and demonstration of prototypes. Manned Ground Vehicles will be a new generation of Army combat vehicles replacing today’s tanks, artillery and infantry carriers. General Dynamics is also responsible for the development and integration of the Mounted Combat System, Command and Control Vehicle, and Reconnaissance and Surveillance Vehicle through 2009.General Dynamics and United Defense Limited Partnership, which received a similar subcontract, together have formed an integrated design team to develop and demonstrate a family of eight manned ground vehicles sharing common components and subsystems. These new vehicles will be significantly smaller and lighter than the systems they replace, and designed to fit into a C-130 airplane.
Under its contract, United Defense has responsibility for five MGV variants to include the Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) Mortar, an Infantry Carrier Vehicle, a Medical Vehicle, a Maintenance and Recovery Vehicle, and the NLOS Cannon, which the Army has identified as critical and integral to the FCS Unit of Action family of systems. An NLOS-Cannon system demonstrator has been undergoing live fire testing since August and is scheduled to begin mobility testing at Yuma Proving Ground in January 2004. The MGV variants will be significantly smaller and lighter than the systems they replace, and are designed to fit into a C-130 airplane.
“We are happy to be a significant member of the team selected to develop the next generation of manned ground vehicles,” said Charles M. Hall, president of General Dynamics Land Systems. “We are committed to supporting the Army and the Lead Systems Integrator team, Boeing and Science Applications International Corporation, to achieve a successful outcome for the development phase of Future Combat Systems.”
Mike Bolon, General Dynamics Land Systems senior vice president of engineering, design and development, said, “The program’s systems of systems approach brings advanced technologies to the soldiers of the future, allowing them to operate across the full spectrum of combat operations. This subcontract results in one team — the U.S. Army, its Lead Systems Integrator team, United Defense Limited Partnership and General Dynamics — working to design, develop and demonstrate a new fleet of armored combat vehicles.”
To date, General Dynamics has been awarded contracts valued at approximately $2.5bn for FCS-related work.
This contract is a significant step forward for the FCS program and United Defense,” said Elmer Doty, Vice President of United Defense Ground Systems Division. “We are proud to be on the Army-Industry team developing the Army’s next generation of combat vehicles. It brings to fruition a decade of R&D investments we have made to ensure that the American soldier has the most advanced capabilities in the world.”
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