GCV Infantry Fighting Vehicle The Ground Combat Infantry Fighting Vehicle is an infantry fighting vehicle being developed for the U . S . Army . The program originated as the lead vehicle of the U . S . Army ' s Ground Combat Vehicle program coordinated by TACOM and spawned a parallel program coordinated by DARPA . The purpose of the program is to replace existing armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles in U . S . Army service . The DARPA project aims to have the vehicle designed by 2015 . Derivatives of the vehicle based on a common chassis — such as tanks and ambulances — are expected to be manufactured . It replaces the previous attempt at a next - generation infantry transport , the XM1206 Infantry Carrier Vehicle . Design . The Army emphasizes affordability , rapid deployment and low risk technology for the GCV . The army requires that all aspects of the Ground Combat Vehicle be at technology readiness level 6 . The shortfalls of rapid deployment would be mitigated through an incremental addition of components as technology matures . The Army provides details from the Manned Ground Vehicle effort to utilize on the GCV . The GCV is required to have better protection than any vehicle in the military ' s inventory . General Peter W . Chiarelli has said that the " four main fundamentals " of the vehicle are : The ability to carry 12 soldiers , operate in all forms of combat , have significant protection and deliver the first production vehicle by 2018 . The IFV will be modular and networked and offer improved survivability , mobility and power management functions . The GCV family will use technologies pioneered with the IFV lead vehicle effort . The Mounted Soldier System ( MSS ) is being developed for GCV crew members . MSS works as a force multiplier enhancing situation awareness , comfort , and safety . Dismounted leaders will utilize the Ground Soldier Systems . Network . The IFV would be operable with the current Battle Command Control and Communications Suite but would gradually use a more revolutionary networked integration system . The system would support integration with unmanned systems , and dismounted soldiers , providing adaptive access points and connectivity . The new network concept calls for decentralization of decision making . The Mounted Soldier System enhances situational awareness through wireless communications and input from vehicle sensors and external sources such as other vehicles . Electrical power . The IFV would provide exportable electrical power , and battery charging capability for soldier systems . Mobility . The IFV must be transportable by C - 17 cargo aircraft , rail and ship . The Army will limit the vehicle to the dimensions of the C - 17 rather than smaller aircraft such as the C - 130 , which in the past has restricted many designs . The Army requires the IFV to be as logistically deployable as the current Stryker . The IFV will have good cross - country mobility , with a baseline requirement of off - road speed . A certain degree of the ability to ford and cross gaps will also be required . The IFV should deliver improved maintainability and consume less fuel than the Bradley Fighting Vehicle or other vehicles of similar weight and power . In its standard configuration the IFV will have a crew of three and carry a squad of nine . The vehicle can be reconfigured to support casualty evacuation . The Army has stated no preference as to whether the IFV should be tracked or wheeled but suggests that it be tracked due to the weight stemming from the requirements . Offensive capabilities . The army would like the vehicle to feature a commander ’ s weapons station , autocannon , coaxial weapon , and an anti - tank guided missile system . The weapons suite must be manually operable when damaged and the commander ' s weapon station must incorporate a shield . Additionally , a dismountable anti - armor weapon will be carried on board . The Army also stated that the weapon suite will emphasis modularity , be able to defeat other IFVs and provide non - lethal capability to enable use in civilian environments . In May 2012 , the Army ' s Project Manager for Maneuver Ammunition System ( PM MAS ) began to emphasize the need for munitions suppliers to begin readying for GCV IFV ammunition needs . Solutions ranged from 25 mm to 50 mm , but 30x173mm was identified as " the most likely " design to meet lethality and stowed kill requirements . Specific requirements were for airburst capability to defeat infantry targets ( with high explosive incendiary recognized as a “ less effective alternative ” ) , armor - piercing rounds to defeat material threats , and training ammunition for each tactical round . Potential candidates included five U . S . produced and three foreign - made rounds . On 7 August 2013 , sources sought announcement for a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement for 30x173 mm ammunition : 2 , 700 rounds of Mk 238 Mod 1 High Explosive Incendiary - Tracer ( HEI - T ) , 2 , 000 rounds of Mk 258 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot - Tracer ( APFSDS - T ) , 2 , 000 rounds of Mk 268 Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot - Tracer ( APFSDS - T ) , and 2 , 000 rounds of Mk 317 Target Practice Discarding Sabot - Tracer ( TPDS - T ) . The announcement calls for the cartridges to be compatible with the Bushmaster III weapon system , such as XM813 and / or Mk 44 Mod 1 . All interested participants must provide the ammo quantities and associated information before the end of March 2015 . Countermeasures . Thermal management and acoustic noise reduction will be utilized to avoid detection . The vehicle will be able to avoid threats by laying obscurants . An array of hit avoidance systems will be leveraged and the army has offered the various active protection system s developed for the manned ground vehicle program . The GCV enables the detection and neutralization of mines at standoff ranges . The vehicle is also equipped with an engagement detection system . The army requires the IFV to have the passive blast protection level equal to the MRAP . The army is making available the composition of the armor of the manned ground vehicle program . A transparent armor shield will provide protection for the vehicle commander when exposed through the turret . Personnel will leverage harnesses and restraints to mitigate trauma . In addition , a Vehicle Health Management System will provide vehicle diagnostic monitoring systems for commanders . A fire suppression system and ammunition detonation protection will be utilized for damage control . The Mounted Soldier System will protect crew members from ballistic , thermal , and CBRN threats . The Mounted Soldier System incorporates fire retardant systems such as the Improved Combat Vehicle Crewman Coverall and undergarments , facewear , gloves , and footwear . Ballistic protection will come from the Combat Vehicle Crewman Helmet , eyewear , a maxillofacial shield and improvements to body armor . A secondary squad egress is provided for the squad to exit in emergencies . Tactics . The Infantry Fighting Vehicle variant is intended to fill the infantry transport role in Heavy Brigade Combat Teams replacing the aging M113 APC , M2 Bradley and M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle . It is the U . S . Army ' s intention that this IFV replace the M113 APC in the near term and the M2 Bradley , and M1126 ICV in the midterm . In the U . S . Army , as part of the ongoing restructuring , Heavy Brigade Combat Team Brigades would have an arsenal of 62 IFV ' s , battalion s would have 29 , and platoon s would have 4 . Platoons are to be led by platoon leader GCV which would be accompanied by platoon medic , forward observer , Radio Transmission Operator and other attachments and would command three other GCVs . The Army places importance on the GCV ' s ability to carry a full nine - man squad . Numerous Army studies have concluded that a squad , containing two fireteam s , should be composed of nine to eleven soldiers . These numbers allow the squad to accomplish the fire and maneuver doctrine , and for squad resilience , lethality , and leader span of control . The M2 Bradley cannot carry a complete squad from one vehicle , creating risk when transitioning from mounted to dismounted operations . The Bradley ' s lower carrying capacity was accepted for greater ( than previous vehicles ) mounted lethality and cost savings , leading to squads being broken apart for transport . A GCV with a nine - man squad would allow the squad leader to control and communicate with the squad while mounted , simplify the transition to dismounted operations in complex terrain , and allow the squad to conduct independent fire and maneuver immediately upon dismount . Replacing the Bradley on a one - for - one basis would have four GCVs per mechanized infantry platoon carrying one full nine - man squad in a single vehicle , with three vehicles carrying squads and one carrying the platoon ' s organic and attached enablers . Development . The Ground Combat Vehicle is envisioned to be a model of acquisition reform . The initial program was canceled a year into development and was soon replaced with a new program better emphasizing affordability . Initial program . In the initial plan , the first variant of the vehicle was to be prototyped in 2015 and fielded by 2017 . The U . S . military planned on procuring 1 , 450 IFVs at a total program cost of $ 40 billion . The program was abruptly canceled in August 2010 , before any contracts were awarded . An Army presentation in March revealed that TARDEC , ARL , and TRADOC - ARCIC had partnered to analyze the survivability of the army ' s " Ground Combat Vehicle " . Army Chief of Staff Robert Gates announced his intention of halting funding for the XM1206 Infantry Carrier Vehicle of the FCS manned ground vehicle program in April 2009 . In late 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 . On 15 and 16 June , a blue - ribbon panel convened in Washington D . C . to determine the requirements for the Ground Combat Vehicle . It was concluded at this meeting that an Infantry Fighting Vehicle would be the first vehicle variant fielded . Defense contractors were not allowed to attend but at least six in attendance were employed by defense companies that eventually bid on the GCV contract . On 23 June , Future Combat Systems was formally dissolved and many programs including the Manned Ground Vehicle program were canceled with it . On 19 October , contractors turned up for a U . S . Army organized industry day event in Dearborn , Michigan to learn about the requirements . In late October PEO Integration was established to oversee subsystems of BCT Modernization including the GCV . On 24 November , a second industry day was held in Warren , Michigan . After much delay , reviews necessary for continuation were held throughout February , in Washington D . C . The GCV review was officially passed on 25 February and a request for proposal ( RfP ) was issued the same day . It was revealed in the RfP that the GCV would be a cost - plus contract . Companies had 60 days to respond , but this offer was extended an additional 25 days . In May , a " red team " was formed to curtail the GCVs 7 - year development schedule . By the 21 May deadline , four proposals were submitted . On 1 July , management of the GCV was transferred from PEO Integration to PEO Ground Combat Systems with Andrew DiMarco as project manager . For fiscal year 2011 , the U . S . Army intended to spend $ 934 million of the $ 2 . 5 billion allocated for BCT Modernization to develop the GCV . Reportedly , $ 100 million was removed from the yet to be approved budget but the budget continued to reported as $ 934 million . On 25 August the army retracted its request for proposals after the red team assembled in May recommended that the army either upgrade the existing ground vehicle fleet or rewrite the requirements . The Technology Development Phase ( or Milestone A ) was to begin with the award of up to three vehicle contracts awarded in late Fiscal Year 2010 under the Technology Development Phase Contract . A Preliminary Design Review would follow in mid FY 2012 . The U . S . military planned to spend $ 7 . 6 billion during Milestone A . The Engineering and Manufacturing Development Phase ( or Milestone B ) was to begin with two prototype development contracts awarded in the beginning of Fiscal Year 2013 under the Engineering & Manufacturing Development Contract . Shortly thereafter , an Interim Critical Design Review would follow in Mid - FY 2013 . After a nearly two - year manufacturing period the first prototypes would be manufactured Mid - FY 2015 after which a Critical Design Review and a Production Readiness Review would occur in FY 2015 and FY 2016 respectively . The Low Rate Initial Production Phase ( or Milestone C ) was to begin with a low - rate production contract awarded in mid Fiscal Year 2016 under the Low Rate Initial Production ( LRIP ) contract . Less than two years after the contract award LRIP would begin . After more testing a battalion - sized team would be attained in FY 2018 followed by a brigade - sized arsenal in FY 2019 . If a Full - Rate Production Decision was attained , full - rate production would begin . The U . S . military planned on procuring 1 , 450 IFVs at a total program cost of $ 40 billion . There were four known competing contractors for the Ground Combat Vehicle contract . Revised program . In September , Alion Science and Technology was awarded a $ 23 , 828 , 000 contract modification for the development of systems supporting GCV development . This contract was tendered by the U . S . Air Force and $ 2 , 180 , 000 in funds was obligated at the time of the award . An industry day was held 1 October in Dearborn , Michigan . The Army reduced its requested FY 2011 budget to $ 462 million . Advanced Defense Vehicle Systems , General Dynamics Land Systems , and BAE Systems announced their intention of re - competing soon after the cancellation . A revised RfP was to be issued around 27 October 2010 . Military officials met on 20 October to discuss delaying the RfP to allow leaders time to deliberate about requirements . The panel recommended releasing the RfP without delay but George Casey said he would need time to commit to a decision . Senior leaders at the meeting felt that the 27 October target could be met . The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform suggested deferring development of the GCV until after 2015 . The revised RfP was issued on 30 November . ADVS announced its decision to not submit a proposal . ADVS decision not to compete was stated to be that the vehicle ' s slow procurement timeline was not suited to " ADVS ’ rapid development and fielding capabilities " . Up to three cost - plus contract s were to be awarded nine months after the RfP was released . An acquisition decision memorandum on 17 August allowed the program to award technology development contracts . It also initiated two reviews of alternatives including a revised analysis of alternatives and an analysis of non - developmental vehicles . The 18 August , the Army awarded technology development contracts to only BAE and GDLS . BAE was awarded $ 450 million while GDLS was awarded $ 440 million . SAIC followed up with a bid protest on 26 August further delaying GCV development . It believes the evaluations process was flawed and the evaluation took factors into consideration that were not stated in the request for proposal . $ 884 million is requested by the U . S . Army to fund the GCV in FY 2012 . The technology development phase will be a 24 months long , 3 months shorter than the previous plan . The Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase will be 48 months long . The Army plans on acquiring 1 , 874 GCVs to replace Bradleys in 16 active and 8 National Guard Heavy Brigade Combat Teams . Testing of commercially available combat vehicles began in May 2012 at Fort Bliss and White Sands Missile Range to prepare the Army for Milestone B . The Non - Developmental Vehicle analysis assessed five vehicles , the M2A3 Bradley , Namer , CV - 9035 , a double v - hulled M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle and a turretless Bradley . The tests , completed on May 25 , were carried out to determine what vehicle variants and configurations fulfill the Army ' s needs . The Army found that although the vehicles assessed met some GCV requirements , no currently fielded vehicle met enough without needing significant redesign . There were three known competing contractors for the Ground Combat Vehicle contract . A Milestone C decision could be made in 2019 . Weight issues . In November 2012 , estimates of the GCV ' s weight , depending on armor packages , put the General Dynamics entry vehicle at 64 - 70 tons , and the BAE Systems entry vehicle at 70 - 84 tons . This makes the planned infantry fighting vehicle designs heavier than the M1 Abrams tank . The reason is the vehicle must have enough armor to protect a squad of nine troops from all battlefield threats , from rocket - propelled grenade s to IED s , as good as or better than other vehicles can protect against specific threats individually . This works against the vehicle , as the weight increases , cost goes up and maneuverability goes down . The contractors are currently working to bring the weight down . The Army maintains that heavy armor is needed to protect the squad from acceleration forces that come with an underside blast , and that thicker underbelly plates and V - shaped hulls do not give enough protection . More armor will come from the vehicle being larger for more internal space for the soldiers , and to allow for features such as floating floors for blast deflection and extra headroom . The Army also says heavy weight will not affect deployability because the Bradley it is replacing already requires strategic airlift transport aircraft . DARPA . The TACOM project spawned a parallel program by DARPA called Fast Adaptable Next - Generation ( FANG ) GCV . The contest utilizes crowdsourcing to engineer several IFVs . The program will occur in three phases . The Mobility / Drivetrain Challenge lasts nine months and begins in mid - 2012 . A prize of $ 0 . 5 - 1 million for winning design or designs will be awarded . The Chassis / Integrated Survivability Challenge lasts nine months and begins in the beginning of 2013 concurrent to the Mobility / Drivetrain Challenge . A prize of $ 0 . 5 - 1 million for winning design or designs will be awarded . The Total Platform Challenge lasts 15 months and begins in late 2013 . A prototype would be completed and this could potentially compete with TACOM ' s GCV . The vehicle ' s design itself would be open source . CBO . The Congressional Budget Office has questioned the affordability of the GCV and has suggested that Bradleys be modernized instead . Industry leaders and the Army have criticized the CBO report , saying it did not account for changes in the program and unfairly weighted requirements against each other . Vehicles . BAE GCV . The BAE Systems Ground Combat Vehicle design has a 3 - man crew and can carry a squad of nine troops . It has a steel - core hull and an integrated electronic network capability with embedded intelligence , surveillance , and reconnaissance equipment . Its turret is unmanned . The centerpiece of the vehicle is its simplified drive train . It is propelled by a Hybrid Electric Drive ( HED ) , which was developed Northrop Grumman , that produces 1 , 100 kW of electricity . Advantages to it are fewer components and lower volume and weight compared to current power plants . The transmission is 40 percent smaller and the drive train has half the moving parts . The hybrid drive train costs 5 percent more than a mechanical system , but has a 20 percent reduction in life - cycle cost . The electric drive allows for smoother low - speed operation and less noise . The vehicle burns 20 % less fuel while running , with 4 . 61 gallons ( 17 . 45 liters ) per hour used while stationary . It has a top speed of 43 mph ( 70 km / h ) , can go from 0 to 20 mph ( 32 . 18 km / hr ) in 7 . 8 seconds , and has a range of with a 255 gallon fuel capacity . Disadvantages to the BAE design include a weight of 70 tons and fuel efficiency of only 0 . 73 mpg . It has been argued that big , heavy vehicles are not practical in urban combat and that the infrastructure of urban and third - world countries should limit the vehicle ' s weight to 45 tons . Others say that urban warfare tactics have become so lethal that only vehicles of this size can survive . BAE is considering integrating the Artis Iron Curtain active protection system to defeat incoming rockets and missiles before they can hit the vehicle . An APS is not an initial Army requirement . Tests were conducted in April 2013 for integration , but the system still needs to mature . A prototype system for the vehicle to drive in low visibility conditions is being tested . A Humvee with blacked - out windows drove through a smoke - filled mock town with the system safely , even though visibility was completely obscured . In August 2013 , the BAE GCV ' s hybrid electric drive completed 2 , 000 miles of testing on a fully integrated “ Hotbuck ” mobility platform . The Hotbuck is a stationary test stand that simulates real - life environments and terrain and puts actual miles on the HED system . Under BAE ' s own timeline , the testing was completed four months ahead of schedule . Developing and testing actual hardware was not a program requirement for the Technology Development ( TD ) phase , but BAE Systems chose to demonstrate the fuel efficiency and performance of a hybrid system . General Dynamics GCV . On 31 October 2013 , General Dynamics successfully completed a preliminary design review of their GCV IFV design . Subsystem and component design reviews were held from August to October of that year and lead to the four - day PDR . General Dynamics demonstrated their vehicle met Tier 1 affordability , reliability , and other requirements . The success of the PDR means that the General Dynamics GCV IFV can be expected to be operationally effective and suitable .