DEFENCE
DEFENCE
ARMAMENTS
IFV Bradley’s replacement for the US Army丨Candidates

The long-lasting effort of the US Army to find the successor of the Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) “Bradley” – in service for decades – seems to be reaching its completion.
At least three major projects have been announced in the past aiming to achieve the design of the vehicle’s replacement, which turned out fruitless at the huge cost of over $ 20 billion.
The US military has selected 5 companies to create prototypes for the future IFV. These include Oshkosh’s partnership with South Korea’s Hanwha, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems, Point Blank Enterprises and American Rheinmetall Vehicles.
Under the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) program, which lasts up to 15 months, the companies in question aim to offer a new – digital – design to be evaluated by the Army.
Also read: Australia | Hanwha Defense-led team launches AS21 Redback IFV – VIDEO
The process at this stage reaches $ 300 million, and if completed, thousands of armored vehicles will be ordered to replace the M-2 Bradley.
The reasons for the said past failures are numerous. On the one hand, the constant changes in the specifications as the Army demanded increased survivability, but also enhanced strike capability as well as improved maneuverability. An autonomous vehicle was later sought, but the cost per vehicle was high. The consequence of this was to limit the manufacturers’ interest, who did not see the process as effective.
Meanwhile, remarkable IFV proposals have already been presented internationally over the years by various companies. Nonetheless, they either did not meet the American requirement or were considered expensive. However, in the basic specifications of the next “Bradley” the option of autonomous unmanned operation (Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, as the relevant program is called) is still offered.
Also read: Rheinmetall Lynx KF41 | The first of three Lynx for Australia is unveiled – VIDEO
ARMAMENTS
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION
Etemad | Iran’s New Ballistic Missile
Iran recently unveiled its new Etemad ballistic missile with a range of 1,700 km during a ceremony in Tehran attended by…
US Navy | Certification of the Operational Service of the New HELIOS Laser Weapon System
The US Navy has certified the operational service of the new HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance)…
Lockheed Martin | Upgrade of the Trident II D5 Missile for the US Navy
Lockheed Martin has secured a $383 million contract modification to develop the next-generation Trident II Strategic…
Etemad | Iran’s New Ballistic Missile
Iran recently unveiled its new Etemad ballistic missile with a range of 1,700 km during a ceremony in Tehran attended by…
US Navy | Certification of the Operational Service of the New HELIOS Laser Weapon System
The US Navy has certified the operational service of the new HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance)…
Lockheed Martin | Upgrade of the Trident II D5 Missile for the US Navy
Lockheed Martin has secured a $383 million contract modification to develop the next-generation Trident II Strategic…
INTRACOM DEFENCE | Launch of the ACTUS Project with Cypriot Participation
INTRACOM DEFENCE (IDE) has signed a €42 million Grant Agreement (No. 101168046 ACTUS–EDF-2023-DA) with the European Defence Fund…
XDOWN | Development of a Rugby Ball-Like Tactical Unmanned Aerial System
US defence startup XDOWN has developed a tactical Unmanned Aerial System called the PS Killer (PSK). Throwers use this lightweight drone…
European Defence Fund | Announcement of the 2025 EDF Work Programme
More than €1 billion will be allocated in 2025 from the European Defence Fund (EDF) to the European defence ecosystem for…