The Army announced upgrades Tuesday for two of its vehicles with a $258 million deal to modernize more Stryker fighting vehicles to the A1 configuration and a new prototype agreement to test artificial intelligence software on Bradley M2A3s.
General Dynamics [GD] received the new contract on June 21 to update 116 Stryker flat-bottom vehicles to the Double-V Hull configuration and DIUx tapped tech start-up Uptake to install automated equipment maintenance software on a handful of Bradleys.
“The Stryker A1 builds upon the combat-proven Double-V Hull (DVH) configuration, providing unprecedented survivability against mines and improvised explosive devices,” GD officials said in a statement. “The Stryker A1 Infantry Carrier Vehicle is one of the most versatile, most mobile and safest personnel carriers in the entire Army inventory.”
The latest contract modification to GD calls for the company to deliver the A1-configuration upgraded Stryker vehicles by March 2020. The Army has previously awarded orders to modernize 330 vehicles for the 4th Stryker Brigade.
“In addition to the DVH survivability, the Stryker A1 provides a 450-horsepower engine, 60,000-pound suspension, 910-amp alternator and in-vehicle network,” GD officials said.
DIUx, DoD’ s emerging technologies office, has selected Uptake to deploy an AI solution on several dozen Bradley vehicles to test the feasibility of automating equipment repair tasks on the Army fleet.
Uptake’s Asset Performance Management application will be used to predict component failures, increase situational awareness and automate components of repair operations.
“The military has the most sophisticated and important assets that we rely on for our national security. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle must be ready at a moment’s notice. Leveraging AI will provide the United States a strategic edge to keep our country secure and the warfighter safe,” Ganesh Bell, president of Uptake, said in a statement.
Army officials will test the AI functions on the Bradley before determining possible paths for scaling the solution up to other Bradley vehicles or other potential platforms, according to Uptake.