Bruce Jette, acquisition executive at the U.S. Army and a 2020 Wash100 award winner, said companies that previously submitted bids for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program have expressed plans to compete again after the service restructured the acquisition strategy for the OMFV competition, Inside Defense reported Thursday.
"So far my estimate is that, at least what I would consider, the standard competitors are still intending to participate," Jette said Thursday at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s tactical air and land forces subpanel. "And there are a number of others who have talked to the [program executive officer] already. I think … 11 [competitors] so far."
General Dynamics’ (NYSE: GD) land systems business, BAE Systems and a team of Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) and Rheinmetall were the original competitors for the OMFV program.
The Army decided to drop in January the solicitation for the OMFV program, which seeks to replace the service’s Bradley fighting vehicles, to review the effort’s acquisition strategy, requirements and schedule. The service reopened the competition in February.
Jette said the Army will continue to "revise the operational and technical characteristics" of the program based on vendor assessments.
