By Ann Roosevelt
Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli made a special trip Dec. 18 to tell industry officials at a Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) conference in Michigan the service is firmly behind the new vehicle.
“There is a real need for this capability now and in the future,” Chiarelli said in a statement. “The challenge we face is providing that needed capability, under an accelerated timeline and in a fiscally-constrained environment. This can only be achieved by working together.”
More than 116 individuals representing more than 90 companies attended the pre-proposal conference in Dearborn, Mich., where the service expected to clarify the recent release of a GCV Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) Request for Proposals (RFP) (Defense Daily, Dec. 3).
The initial RFP for the technology development phase of the IFV was terminated in late summer to be refined and a new RFP issued Nov. 30 (Defense Daily, Dec. 1).
Before the initial RFP was terminated, teams led by General Dynamics [GD], BAE Systems, and SAIC [SAI] submitted proposals for the Technology Demonstration phase.
The Saturday conference followed a widely attended industry meeting in October, where Industry provided valuable feedback to the Army on the RFP (Defense Daily, Oct. 5).
The conference format consisted of questions and answers which are available to industry representatives electronically, the service said.
Chiarelli said the bottom line is that the RFP represents an opportunity. “I believe this large gathering–on a Saturday, a week before Christmas–clearly demonstrates our shared commitment.”
Ground Combat Vehicle Project Manager Col. Andrew DiMarco said: “I am exceedingly pleased with the level of interest in this effort as evidenced by the productive questions our industry partners have submitted.”
The Pre Proposal Conference followed a widely attended industry meeting in October, where Industry provided valuable feedback to the Army on the RFP (Defense Daily, Oct. 5).
The new vehicle is a key part of Army modernization. The GCV IFV will be designed around the infantry squad to provide a highly protected and mobile transport to decisive locations on the battlefield. The GCV IFV will also provide the needed force protection against the full spectrum of threats, including IEDs. No single vehicle available today can provide those combinations of capabilities.