Article Posted on : - Mar 03, 2010

Bradley A3 Infantry Combat Vehicle. The new Ground Combat Vehicle is designed to replace the Bradley in service by 2017. A BAE Systems Photo.

VIRGINIA (BNS): BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman have jointly signed a defence agreement to develop Ground Combat Vehicle programme.

According to a news release by the BAE Systems, The GCCV programme is headed by the US Army and is designed to develop the next generation Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

"Our team looks forward to working side by side with the Army and its Soldiers in the development of the new Ground Combat Vehicle," said Mark Signorelli, BAE Systems' vice president and general manager of Ground Combat Vehicle.

BAE Systems will serve as the prime contractor in this partnership.

Northrop Grumman will serve as the C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) lead, responsible for integration of command and control hardware and software, computers and communications equipment, sensors and sensor suites for intelligence gathering and force protection, and other functionality that requires 'plug and play' with the internal network or provides situational awareness across external networks, as reported in the release.

The US Army intends to award contracts to as many as three competitors this fall with production expected to begin in 2017.