Rheinmetall teams with US Army DEVCOM to explore OMFV weaponry

26th August 2021 - 18:00 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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The OMFV programme is set to benefit from Rheinmetall's work under CRADA. (Photo: American Rheinmetall Vehicles)

American Rheinmetall Vehicles has announced a partnership with US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Centre (DEVCOM AC) to conduct a series of R&D efforts.

The collaboration, dubbed Master Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), will allow DEVCOM and Rheinmetall to leverage their respective expertise to develop integrated combat vehicle weapons, fire control and ammunition technologies.

Rheinmetall said the efforts will include, but will not be limited to, digital engineering, modelling and simulation, and prototyping and testing.

The partners emphasised how the CRADA will enable exploration of integrating the US Army's XM913 50mm cannon onto platforms currently competing for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) programme.

The 50mm XM913 chain gun is an experimental, modern version of the Northrop Grumman Bushmaster family. It was unveiled during its first public firing in 2019 at Arizona's 'Big Sandy' test range.

'Specifically, efforts on integration of the XM913 50mm cannon will provide transformational capability and overmatch for our future soldiers.' said Mike Milner, American Rheinmetall Vehicles director for business development and strategy.

American Rheinmetall Vehicles is part of Team Lynx, a consortium of five companies, including Raytheon Technologies, L3Harris Technologies, Textron Systems and Allision Transmission.

Under an overall contract value of $299.4 million, Team Lynx is offering a modular open systems approach solution to develop Phase 2 digital concept designs for OMFV.

The new contract with DEVCOM AC is likely to play a crucial role for Rheinmetall in the subsequent phases of the OMFV programme.