Army taps Textron’s Ripsaw M3 for Robotic Combat Vehicle program, sources say
If the service's previous RCV plans hold true, the company will begin finalizing designs ahead of additional prototype deliveries next year.
If the service's previous RCV plans hold true, the company will begin finalizing designs ahead of additional prototype deliveries next year.
As the Army prepares to field a fleet of unmanned combat vehicles in 2028, industry is raising red flags about the service's piecemealed acquisition approach and its plan to use internally developed autonomy software over finding a working commercial solution.
Michigan’s defense ecosystem and expertise makes it a special asset for production.
The Army released the RFP for the next two phases of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle on July 1, which could see some new entrants from abroad.
The Mobile Protected Firepower program, a light tank for infantry brigades, is one of the Army's top modernization priorities and the service's first new design vehicle in 40 years.
"We're trying to figure out how much autonomy you need, what's available, what's really mature now," Brig. Gen. Glenn Dean told Breaking Defense.
The Army really needed "to be more inclusive and to allow us to develop capabilities, that would be more scalable for the future." On top of that, the service tried hard, Maj. Gen. Ross Coffman said, "to lower the barriers to entry for foreign and non-traditional vendors."