Army’s new light tank competition kicks off

[GhostZ06]

Proposals are due in March and bid samples by April 1.

According to the RFP, funding available for the MPF program in FY-19 will be $176 million. Subsequently, $311 million will be allotted in FY-20, $360 million in FY-21 and $376 million in FY-22.

The requirement for MPF is to provide infantry brigade combat teams a protected, long-range, cyber resilient, precision, direct-fire capability for early or forcible entry operations.

The Army has worked to engage industry from early on in the process, Maj. Gen. David Bassett, program executive officer for Ground Combat Systems, said in a Nov. 22 Army statement.

Industry has responded throughout that time by investing company dollars to bring potential designs “to level of readiness rarely, if ever, seen when procuring a new and highly complex combat platform,” the statement reads.

The Army plans to take delivery of MPF prototypes within 14 months after contract award, “and will get them into the hands of an evaluation unit four months after delivery,” according to the statement.

So far vendors that are expected to respond to the RFP are SAIC partnering with ST Kinetics and CMI Defence, BAE Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems, but others could come forward.

[Industry offerings emerge for Army's Mobile Protected Firepower]

The SAIC, ST Kinetics and CMI Defence team has said it will integrate CMI’s Cockerill Series 3105 turret onto an ST Kinetics Next Generation Armored Fighting Vehicle chassis.

BAE Systems is offering an M8 Buford Armored Gun System with new capabilities and new modernized components.

GDLS said it’s planning to respond with an offering but has not been forthcoming on what it might bring to the competition. It’s theorized the company might bring something stemming from its Griffin demonstrator it brought to AUSA in 2016 that combines a 120 mm cannon designed for the defunct Future Combat System and the British Ajax chassis.

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2017/11/22/armys-new-light-tank-competition-kicks-off/

 

[DamasR]

i thought land vehicles was a thing of the past and it was all about the drones..

 

[GhostZ06]

i thought land vehicles was a thing of the past and it was all about the drones..

never really went beyond prototype

 

[flashNsmash]

little late, isn't it? would have come in handy 10-15 years ago in the desert but i don't see the value now that eastern europe is the flashpoint again

 

[curryjunkie]

just get a shitload of these, they fit 2 on a chinook,can be air dropped, go really fast and carry tow missiles, 20mm cannon and troops

 

[Mondo Freaks]

but does it turn into a robot?

 

[GhostZ06]

just get a shitload of these, they fit 2 on a chinook,can be air dropped, go really fast and carry tow missiles, 20mm cannon and troops

thats not a light tank

 

[GhostZ06]

little late, isn't it? would have come in handy 10-15 years ago in the desert but i don't see the value now that eastern europe is the flashpoint again

Not really....we changed are doctrine. And also the russians and chinese have light tanks.


BMD-4M, they use to have a para-dropped t-62

And the ZTQ-105

http://www.military-today.com/tanks/new_chinese_light_tank.htm.


it would make light infantry more lethal.

 

[jimbob27]

little late, isn't it? would have come in handy 10-15 years ago in the desert but i don't see the value now that eastern europe is the flashpoint again

Regardless of whether there are any more wars in the middle east, the US can sell these to Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. They all operate other US armor and I'm sure they'll be more than willing to part with some of their lovely oil money for something new and shiny.

These will still be useful in potential eastern european conflicts. Survival rates of armor against modern weapons have very little to do with the thickness of steel, and are pretty much entirely related to electronic warfare techniques.

 

[plataoplombo]

just get a shitload of these, they fit 2 on a chinook,can be air dropped, go really fast and carry tow missiles, 20mm cannon and troops

If they could remote control it and fit heavier missiles on it, yeah it could do some serious damage

 

[curryjunkie]

thats not a light tank

by light, you mean a mere 50 tons?
since anti tank weapons now fit on a single soldiers shoulder, and you need chobham armour to survive it, you either gotta go real light, or heavy to gain an advantage.
plus they cost a lot less than the billions that would be spent on developing a new "light " tank
i know youre from texas, but bigger aint always better

 

[GhostZ06]

by light, you mean a mere 50 tons?
since anti tank weapons now fit on a single soldiers shoulder, and you need chobham armour to survive it, you either gotta go real light, or heavy to gain an advantage.
plus they cost a lot less than the billions that would be spent on developing a new "light " tank
i know youre from texas, but bigger aint always better

its not a light tank though. its a light armoured vehicle with some tows on it. When compared to stuff like bmd-4 and ZQ-105 its pretty piss poor pathetic an a little out dated. it was great during the glorious days of the cold war

 

[GhostZ06]

 

[ultramanhyata]

 

[GhostZ06]

Top one isnt a light tank. You posted a tank destroyer

 

[GhostZ06]

 

[Videer]

Regardless of whether there are any more wars in the middle east, the US can sell these to Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. They all operate other US armor and I'm sure they'll be more than willing to part with some of their lovely oil money for something new and shiny.

These will still be useful in potential eastern european conflicts. Survival rates of armor against modern weapons have very little to do with the thickness of steel, and are pretty much entirely related to electronic warfare techniques.

The main selling point is speed of deploying light tanks / AFVs. As in case of BMD series paratroopers can have a slightly gimped MBT with them 5 minutes after their feet touch the ground.