The Army is soliciting industry’s ability to deliver a future teleoperation kit to enable soldiers to remotely operate its Assault Breacher Vehicles (ABV), with plans to award prototype deals in fiscal year 2022.
A production contract for the ABV Remote Control System (RCS) is expected to be awarded at the end of FY ‘25, according to a new Request for Information notice.
“The purpose of the RCS is to offset soldiers from the dangerous breach activity completed by the ABV. The RCS provides the option for either manned or unmanned operations,” officials wrote in the notice. “When in operation, the RCS will have the capability to tele-operate the ABV in day and night, including all automotive functions, the Full Width Mine Plow and Combat Dozer Blade front end attachments, the Lane Marking System, the Linear Demolition Charge System, and self-obscuration system.”
The RCS is expected to be a multi-vehicle system consisting of an Operator Control Unit kit installed on an Bradley control vehicle as well as the M1150 ABVs, and will be used to maneuver the vehicles remotely as they’re used to breach minefields.
“This market survey will inform the capabilities needed; the Army does not want to bound the solution, rather, requesting industry to propose solutions, along product development timelines, which the Army can leverage for and gain mutual benefit,” officials wrote.
An industry day for ABV RCS will likely be held in the near future, according to the Army, with a Request for Proposals planned for release in FY ‘21.