The XM-30, A Replacement At Last For the Bradley Fighting Vehicle: The Army’s XM-30, also known as the Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, was redesignated from the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) and is being designed to replace the M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). Optionally manned means the OMFV can conduct remotely controlled operations without a crew. That is too many names to remember.
The XM-30 Combat Vehicle will be an integral part of an Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT). It will replace the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle to provide the capabilities required to defeat a future near-peer competitor’s force.
The XM-30 is an optionally manned combat vehicle that maneuvers soldiers to a position of positional advantage to engage in close combat and deliver decisive lethality during combined arms maneuvers.
The Bradley Fighting Vehicle, in service since 1981, has reached the end of its technological life cycle. The Army tried and failed twice to replace the Bradley.
XM-30: Prototypes To Come Shortly
“The XM30 will replace the Bradley fighting vehicle, bringing new transformational capabilities to the fight; these will include improvements to lethality, Soldier-vehicle survivability, and upgradeability beyond the physical and economic limits of the Bradley,” said Honorable Douglas R. Bush, assistant secretary of the Army, Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. “The modular open system architecture that the XM30 will allow new building technology to be added to the vehicle as that technology matures, ensuring an overwhelming advantage in any potential adversary competition.”
In late June 2023, the Army announced that it had awarded a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems Inc. and American Rheinmetall Vehicles LLC to produce prototype vehicles to replace the M2 Bradley.
“In recent years, peer and near-peer competitors of the United States have significantly increased their combat vehicle capabilities. The character of warfare has changed, and our potential adversaries are bringing increased value to the battlefield,” said BG Geoffrey Norman, director of the next-generation combat vehicles.
The vehicle will feature a hybrid-electric engine, a 50mm cannon, anti-tank guided missiles, machine guns, and an aerial protection system. It will also operate with a two-person crew instead of three for the Bradley. But its most significant separation from the aging Bradley is embedded in its slogan: “Born Digital.”
The program is supposed to change how the Army designs and builds armored vehicles in the future. Many have the question, which the contractors must address: How much aerial defense will the XM-30 have. As we’ve seen during the war in Ukraine, drones have decimated armored formations.
Advanced Technology
American Rheinmetall and Raytheon are partnering up with others to bring cutting-edge technology to their prototype of the XM-30. Their team is designing an infantry fighting vehicle to address threats on future battlefields. The XM-30 incorporates weapons, sensors, artificial intelligence, and system integration expertise.
It provides an advanced, modular, combat-ready solution that gives soldiers a decisive advantage for decades. The vehicle’s open system architecture accommodates future growth and modernization demands.
There will still be three crew members, except that the third will be a virtual crew member powered by AI. This member will scan an area, identify potential threats, and notify the crew, increasing situational awareness and survivability.
Digital Design Is Accelerating the Process
MG Glenn Dean, the program executive officer for ground combat systems, told Defense One that the Army traditionally deploys an updated combat vehicle “about every 10 years.”
However, by incorporating digital engineering, something the Army has been using more frequently, they can spot issues sooner in vehicle designs and fix them, speeding up the process.
Dean added that, using modular open system architecture, different systems from different vendors can be integrated into the same platform and work seamlessly together.
Five Phased XM-30 Program
The XM-30’s acquisition program was divided into five phases that started with market research and requirement development.
Five firms, Point Blank Enterprises, Oshkosh Defense, BAE Systems, General Dynamics, and American Rheinmetall Vehicles, proposed a hybrid electric vehicle concept design in Phase Two.
The third and fourth phases consisted of detailed design and prototyping. General Dynamics and American Rheinmetall Vehicles were awarded the contracts, which totaled $1.6 billion.
If everything goes according to plan, the fifth phase of low-rate initial production and fielding will begin in the first quarter of fiscal 2028. This will eventually lead to a decision for full-rate production by fiscal 2030.
Bradley Fighting Vehicle: A Story in Pictures
U.S. Army soldier from the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division pulls security next to a M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle during Decisive Action rotation 13-03, Jan. 19, 2013, at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif. Decisive Action rotations are geared toward an adaptive enemy in a complex environment. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Eric M. Garland II/ Released)
M2 Bradley
Soldiers fire a 25mm tracer round from an M2A3 fighting vehicle during an integrated night live-fire exercise at Camp Adazi, Latvia, Nov. 25, 2021.
An M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle is on display during a training exercise at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., Feb. 18, 2013. The live, virtual and constructive training environment of the National Training Center is designed to produce adaptive leaders and agile forces for the current fight, which are responsive to the unforeseen contingencies of the 21st century. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Eric M. Garland II/Released)
About the Author
Steve Balestrieri is a 19FortyFive National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing for 19FortyFive, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
