BCT Ground Combat Vehicle Program

The Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) was a program initiated by the United States Army in 2009, with the goal of developing a next-generation armored fighting vehicle. The first variant of the GCV to be developed would be an infantry fighting vehicle to replace the M2 Bradley.

The program was intended to provide increased protection and firepower for ground troops, with a focus on improved crew survivability. The Army planned on acquiring 1,874 GCV infantry fighting vehicles to replace Bradleys in 16 active and 8 National Guard Heavy Brigade Combat Teams. In 2011, the Army selected BAE Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems to move forward with the GCV program.

The program faced significant challenges from the start, including limited funding and concerns about the weight of the vehicle. The GCV was designed to be heavily armored and to transport a fully equipped squad of nine soldiers, something the Bradley could not do. This requirement necessitated adding significant weight to the vehicle, making it less mobile.

The Army canceled the GCV program in 2014 due to the service's budget constraints. The cancellation of the GCV program marked a setback for the U.S. Army, which had been looking to modernize its armored fighting vehicle fleet for many years. The Department of Defense had canceled the Army's previous combat vehicle program, Future Combat Systems Manned Ground Vehicles in 2009.

After the cancelation of the GCV program, the U.S. Army shifted its focus to upgrading its existing fleet of Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Canceling the GCV freed up Army development resources to proceed with the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), the service's replacement for the M113 armored personnel carrier family. The Army has embarked on a comprehensive combat vehicle acquisition effort called Next Generation Combat Vehicle, which includes AMPV within its scope. In 2018 the Army established what came to be known as the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program, the modern successor to the GCV infantry fighting vehicle effort.

Development

Background

The U.S. Army's M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle entered service in 1983. Although production ended in 1995, it was upgraded numerous times over the years.

The U.S. Army's efforts to develop a successor to the Bradley began in the mid-1980s under the Armored Systems Modernization program. The Army studied a family of vehicles utilizing common components. A heavy chassis variant would replace vehicles ranging from howitzers, main battle tanks and Bradleys. This effort was canceled in 1992 due to the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The post–Cold War period saw the Army begin to realize the importance of deploying globally on short notice to small-scale contingencies. In 2000 U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Eric Shinseki laid out his vision for a lighter, more transportable force. He called for a mid-weight unit that would strike a balance between heavy armor and infantry. Shinseki said such a unit would be geared toward for operations short of war. The Army was to do this by investing in an interim fleet that would herald the way to a much more advanced subsequent generation of vehicles. The Army initiated the Interim Armored Vehicle program that year. The resulting Stryker wheeled combat vehicle family entered service in 2002.

The Army initiated the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program in 2000. The combat vehicle component of FCS was the Manned Ground Vehicles program, a family of eight vehicles including an IFV. By substituting active protection systems for armor, the Army sought to reduce the weight of a Manned Ground Vehicle to 20 tons, with transportability by C-130 being the limiting factor. This weight requirement proved difficult to meet. Weight at full combat capability (FCC) had risen to 27 tons by January 2007.

Initial program

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced his intention of halting funding for the FCS in April 2009. In May, Army and Department of Defense representatives outlined plans for the cancellation of Future Combat Systems and the initiation of the Ground Combat Vehicle program in its place.

In June 2009, a blue-ribbon panel met in Washington D.C. to determine the requirements for the Ground Combat Vehicle. It was concluded at this meeting that an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) was to be the first vehicle variant fielded. Later that month, FCS was formally dissolved and many programs including the Manned Ground Vehicle program were canceled with it.

In October and November 2009, the Army held informational sessions for potential GCV contractors. Also that month, Program Executive Office Integration was established to oversee subsystems of BCT Modernization including the GCV. A required review was held and passed in February 2010 in Washington. The GCV request for proposals (RFP) was issued in February 2010. It was revealed in the RfP that the GCV would be a cost-plus contract