Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle Poised For An August RFP
After some false starts earlier this year, Army and Pentagon acquisition officials are scheduled to consider formally launching a competition for the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle next month, according to Defense Department officials.
The AMPV program, which is intended to replace nearly 3,000 of the Army's Vietnam-era M113 infantry carriers, was initially scheduled to release a request for proposals at the end of June, but that date slipped to late July. Now, following what program officials hope will be a successful Defense Acquisition Board meeting on Aug. 9, the RFP is slated to be rolled out later in the month.
"The [program manager] has prepared the AMPV RFP for release," according to a July 26 email from Ashley Givens, an Army spokeswoman. "Our next step is to brief the program to [the Office of the Secretary of Defense] in early August. After OSD reviews the program and any OSD directed changes are integrated, the final RFP for AMPV will be released."
Two defense officials described the AMPV schedule as "fluid" and "subject to change," though they asserted the Army's commitment to the program over the long-term is solid. In fact, one official said, the Army is looking for ways to accelerate the program, fearing it will otherwise be hit by sequestration-related budget cuts. The Army is also serious about setting a program cost cap and has been "extra cautious" in starting the program, one official said. At the moment, the AMPV has an average unit manufacturing cost target of $1.8 million, according to Army documents. At that rate, the total AMPV price tag could exceed $5 billion.
