Lawsuit stalls special operations ground mobility vehicle program.

• Author: Parsons, Dan
• Position: Homeland Security News

A new truck for special operators could have been bought in a swift, purposeful 18-month acquisition process. Instead, it is stuck in limbo pending a lawsuit from a losing manufacturer.

A draft request for proposals for the ground mobility vehicle 1.1 was released in April 2012. U.S. Special Operations Command officials evaluated a handful of offered vehicles and chose a winner less than a year and a half later. In August 2013, it gave the $560 million contract to General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems.

It did not take long for the losing competitors to react. AM General and Navistar Defense each filed protests in December. Both were rejected by the Government Accountability Office, which prompted AM General to file suit against SOCOM.

"AM General did file a lawsuit in the Court of Federal Claims regarding the GMV 1.1 program," company spokesman Jeff Adams said in an email. "We believe our GMV 1.1 offering provides the Special Operations Command with the strongest candidate vehicle in terms of innovation, mobility, survivability and affordability," he said. "Other than that, we are not going to provide further comment."

Adams' reticence to comment matched that of SOCOM and other truck manufacturers that are awaiting a verdict in the case. Testifying on Capitol Hill March 11, SOCOM Commander Adm. William McRaven listed the GMV 1.1 among future capabilities but mentioned nothing of the lawsuit.

"To ensure the SOF operator has the required agility for future security environments, we've initiated the procurement of a new ground mobility vehicle," his testimony read. "This vehicle can negotiate challenging terrain and, importantly, is internally transportable via our SOF rotary-wing aircraft."

AM General requested that the court seal the complaint and associated documentation, effectively shrouding the company's criticisms about SOCOM's decision. The request was granted, and even redacted versions of the complaint remain hidden from public view.

An industry insider who requested anonymity because of the suit said there were "irregularities" with the acquisition decision, but was not willing to elaborate.

Navistar remains an interested party but is not involved with AM General's litigation. AM General was SOCOM's incumbent GMV contractor until it was ousted by General Dynamics last August.

General Dynamics, which netted the contract with a variant of its Flyer fight tactical vehicle, refused to comment on the program because of the...