Polaris [PII] and SAIC [SAIC] said Thursday the two companies have partnered on an offering for the Army’s Infantry Squad Vehicle program to find a new lightweight air-droppable platform, with the service set to award a prototype contract this month.
The two companies have already delivered a baseline sample of the DAGOR vehicle to soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division to receive user feedback on the platform, and officials will bring the vehicle to a ground vehicle show for industry in Michigan next week.
“Working with Polaris, SAIC will provide comprehensive systems engineering and integration using state-of-the-art tools and processes that leverage domain understanding gained through extensive field support and advanced experimentation in support of the Army to give the ISV a technological edge on the battlefields of tomorrow,” Jim Scanlon, vice president of SAIC’s defense systems group, said in a statement.
For the ISV offering, SAIC will serve as the systems integrator for Polaris’ DAGOR vehicle, which has been fielded to operational units since 2015.
Capability modifications to the vehicle include integration of new C4ISR capabilities, cyber security tools, enhanced surveillance, secure communications and non-kinetic fires, according to the two companies.
The Army earlier this year detailed program plans for ISV that include awarding prototype contract awards in August followed by a production contract in March 2020 (Defense Daily, Feb. 27).
ISV is the Army’s new ground mobility vehicle program of record with a goal of eventually fielding up to 2,000 vehicles.
Polaris said DAGOR meets the Army’s requirements for ISV to carry up to nine soldiers with equipment and supplies, while retaining high levels of speed and mobility.
“The DAGOR was designed to meet a squad’s payload and off-road mobility demands, while meeting weight and size restrictions that maximize air transportability,” Jed Leonard, vice president of Polaris Government and Defense, said in a statement. “The lightweight and highly mobile platform supports the Army’s expeditionary missions, providing a key capability needed on the ever-changing battlefield.”