Proposals are due May 18 for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the Marines’ top ground modernization priority, the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV).
The wheeled ACV 1.1 would replace tracked amphibious assault vehicles, some of which are 40 years old. The program builds on Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC) program work from 2006 to 2013.
The president’s fiscal year 2016 budget requests $219 million for the program. In FY 2015, the effort was funded at $105.7 million. In FY ’16 budget documents, the Marines said the “ACV capability along with the AAV Survivability Upgrade will provide the USMC ten (10) infantry battalion lift equivalents through 2035. After which time, the future phase(s) of the ACV Program will provide for the entirety of the USMC armored lift capacity requirement.”
Four likely competitors participated in the MPC effort: BAE Systems, General Dynamics [GD], Lockheed Martin [LMT] and SAIC [SAIC].
Marine Corps Systems Command issued the request for proposals (RFP) March 26 on fbo.gov.
After assessing the quality and risk of each proposal, an award or awards will go to the “most advantageous and represent the best overall value” to the government, the RFP said.
According to the RFP, the acquisition office plans to award two EMD contracts of 16 systems each in November 2016, and, in 2018, downselect and transition to full production.
FY ’16 investment will support a first quarter award of competitive EMD contracts to two vendors to each build 16 test vehicles for a total of 32.
Program Executive Officer, Land Systems Marine Corps (PEO LS) has a requirement to procure, test, field, and support Amphibious Combat Vehicle Phase 1.1 (ACV 1.1), the FBO notice said. PEO LS will procure modified Non-Developmental Item (NDI) ACV 1.1 Personnel Variant Vehicles for EMD, Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP), and Full-Rate Production (FRP).
The government intends to use a fixed price incentive contract type for procurement of the EMD, LRIP, and FRP vehicles. The contract will include associated line item numbers for things such as test support, development funded efforts, fielding and support; associated line item contract types will be either cost-plus-fixed-fee or firm fixed price depending on the effort.
If all contract options are exercised, the total vehicle quantity is 16 vehicles per EMD contractor to support the EMD phase, 60 vehicles during LRIP–four of which will be Full-Up System Live Fire (FUSL) vehicles that will not be fielded–and 148 in FRP.
The authorized acquisition objective of 204 vehicles will be fulfilled through the exercise of the LRIP and FRP options, the document said. If all options are exercised, the total contract period of performance will be approximately eight years.