DETROIT ARSENAL, Mich. — Having successfully supported the delivery of one combat vehicle to the operational force earlier this year, the Next Generation Combat Vehicles Cross-Functional Team (NGCV CFT) continues to build momentum to design and deliver future vehicles the Army will field in 2030, 2040 and beyond.
In March, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division became the first unit equipped with the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), one of the first lines of effort assigned to the NGCV CFT shortly after the team was established in 2018. With AMPV now being utilized by Soldiers in the field, the Army’s Maneuver Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate (MCDID) has become the principal proponent for the vehicle.
“AMPV has been delivered and is a success story for our Army,” said Brig. Gen. Geoffrey Norman, director of the NGCV CFT.
Development of the AMPV initially began in 2012, and progress on the vehicle accelerated significantly with the creation of Army Futures Command (AFC) and its CFTs in 2018. In 2019, the NGCV CFT became responsible for AMPV requirements, integration and fielding, and coordinating initial low-rate vehicle production, test and evaluation. The Army accepted the first AMPV in June 2019 and began an intensive period of Soldier-level testing and evaluation. With AMPV now delivered to the first unit equipped, Gen James E. Rainey, commanding general of AFC, transferred proponency for the AMPV from the NGCV CFT to MCDID on April 28.
The Army intends to ultimately acquire approximately 3,000 AMPVs, which are replacing the M113 Family of Vehicles across the Army’s armored formations.
While AMPV has been delivered, NGCV CFT is not resting on any laurels, said Lt. Col. Gary Flowers, who served as the AMPV lead for the NGCV CFT.
“The biggest satisfaction with AMPV is knowing that our Soldiers now have a vehicle that provides more protection, is more reliable and allows them to better accomplish their mission,” Flowers explained. “With AMPV delivered, we continue to drive progress on other key Army priorities that will give our Soldiers the tools they need to fight and win on the battlefield of tomorrow.”
Flowers also serves as the CFT’s lead for the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) platform, an all-new combat vehicle that is now under Low-Rate Initial Production and will soon be fielded to the Army’s light infantry formations.
NGCV CFT, working with partners from across the Army, is delivering on three additional lines of effort: Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV), MPF and Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV).
Designated as the Army’s #2 overall modernization priority, the OMFV will bring a transformational increase in warfighting capability as it replaces the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. In June, the Army selected industry partners to build prototypes of the OMFV. The first unit equipped for OMFV is scheduled for Fiscal Year (FY) 2029.
MPF is a new capability that will be fielded to light infantry formations and will improve the infantry’s ability to neutralize prepared positions, heavy machine guns and adversary armored vehicle threats while operating on restrictive terrain. MPF is the first all-new combat vehicle to be added to the inventory since the 1980s. Low-rate initial production of MPF began in late 2022, and the first unit equipped will be in FY 2025.
An all-new capability for the Army, RCV development is moving quickly as technology continues to develop. The RCV is a revolutionary capability that will provide the Army with a significant advantage in future operating environments. RCVs can be utilized in a variety of tasks to perform the most dangerous, dirtiest and monotonous tasks on the battlefield. RCVs may begin entering formations for test and evaluation by the end of the decade.
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