General Dynamics’s [GD] Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) with Flyer Defense LLC was selected over incumbent AM General and awarded a seven -ear, potential $562 million contract for as many as 1,300 Ground Mobility Vehicles 1.1 for U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
AM General has been supplying SOCOM with Humvee-based GMV 1.0 vehicles for about a decade, and said it was disappointed its GMV 1.1 version was not chosen.
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| The SOCOM GD-OTS GMV 1.1 is a variant of this Advanced Light Strike Vehicle. Photos of the actual GMV 1.1 are not available at this time. |
“We believe our GMV 1.1 offering provided the Special Operations Command with the strongest candidate vehicle in terms of innovation, mobility, survivability and affordability,” it said in a statement. “We will reserve further comment until we receive a debrief from the government.”
Navistar Defense [NAV], another contender, said it was too soon to say what its next step might be, but it does plan to request a debriefing from SOCOM to better understand their decision.
Other contenders included Oshkosh [OSK] and a Northrop Grumman [NOC] team (Defense Daily, June 18, 2012).
For General Dynamics, the win is important because “it expands our relationship with an important customer community,” Rob Doolittle, staff vice president, communications, told Defense Daily.
General Dynamics offered two different vehicles. The successful offering was submitted by a GD-OTS teamed with Flyer Defense LLC. The lightweight, mobile and air-transportable Flyer vehicle can be rapidly reconfigured for a variety of missions, and a payload capacity of up to 3,500 pounds.
General Dynamics displayed the Flyer in 2010 at the Association of the United States Army annual conference (Defense Daily, Dec. 2, 2010).
“GD-OTS has led this team for General Dynamics based on the experience it amassed in producing the vehicles for Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS), a Marine Corps 120mm mortar system that includes specially designed vehicles that are internally transportable aboard V22s, CH53 helicopters and other USMC air vehicles,” Doolittle said. “There are similar requirements for the GMV.”
General Dynamics’ Land Systems unit offered a separate proposal for GMV 1.1, designed and developed primarily at its facility in Ladson, S.C., where the new SOCOM vehicles will be produced.
SOCOM wanted GMV 1.1 to be a highly mobile, C/MH-47-transportable platform with associated manuals, spare parts, mechanical/operator training and a government-provided C4ISR suite non-developmental item with Special Operations Forces-unique modifications. GD-OTS will perform the majority of the work in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Ladson. The contract is expected to be completed by September 2020.