Orion Firm Pulls Out Of Army Combat Vehicle Competition

Lake Orion-based Advanced Defense Vehicle Systems said Tuesday it had withdrawn as a competitor for the Army's Ground Combat Vehicle Program.

"This drawn-out Army process does not fit with ADVS' rapid development and fielding capabilities," said ADVS CEO James LeBlanc.

ADVS has shown with similar combat armored vehicles for foreign military use and with other major weapon system contracts that it can design, develop, integrate, prototype and field such an advanced system in one to two years. 

ADVS focuses on survivable vehicles that meet customer requirements to rigid specifications at a reasonable development cost, to be fielded rapidly and to protect the soldiers today and in the future. Recently, ADVS delivered the first production of the ADVS 6x6x6 Desert Chameleon armored personnel carriers to the Kuwait Ministry of Interior. ADVS began discussions with the KMOI in 2007 to design a security vehicle that is able to meet their specific mobility, survivability, and performance requirements and customer budget.  ADVS designed, manufactured, tested, and completed the vehicles for delivery by fall 2010, a less-than three-year full development to production timeline duration.

While ADVS supports the Army's concept, they encourage the U.S. Department of Defense to review the ADVS strategies and past performance and consider ways of developing and fielding vehicles more quickly and  economically. Such a rapid process is counter to the current GCV strategy; though supportive of the philosophy of Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates.

More at www.advs.com