The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, has released a request for information for contractors interested in Self Sealing Fuel Tank (SSFT) for U.S. Marine Corps’ Light Armored Vehicles.
In a notice posted on the U.S. government’s main contracting website, the Army Contracting Command announced that it is seeking sources that can demonstrate the capability to produce an estimated 324 fully integrated Self Sealing Fuel Tank (SSFT) Kits, for six (6) vehicle variants, over a 48 month period in support of the Light Armored Vehicles (LAV) Program Manager.
“All SSFT kit deliveries must be completed by March 2025. The SSFT kit consists of the parts listed in the attachment below,” the Dec. 4 notice reads.
The self-sealing fuel tank technology is a feature that, in the event of fire, avoids dangerous fuel leakage. It has been developed to seal bullet entry and exit points, but also any leakage caused by fragments at the moment of impact.
As noted by the Army Contracting Command, the LAV variants include the LAV – Logistics (LAV-L), LAV-Mortar (LAV-M), LAV-Recovery (LAV-R), LAV-Command and Control (LAV-C2), LAV-Anti-Tank (LAV-AT), and LAV-Electronic Warfare (LAV-EW). These kits will be installed at the Marine Corp Depots (Albany and Barstow).
The Family of Light Armored Vehicles is a Marine Corps legacy program which began fielding in 1983. A LAV is an 8×8 wheeled combat vehicle that forms the basis for the Marine Corps’ light armored reconnaissance (LAR) battalions’ combat capability in the performance of their core mission and also hosts mobile electronic warfare capabilities for the Marine Corps’ radio reconnaissance battalions.
The LAV’s combination of protected mobility, firepower, and communications enables its effective employment by Ground Combat Element (GCE) commanders across the range of potential military operations.
The LAV original service life expectancy was through 2003. It has twice been extended, and now is expected to exit service in 2035. Throughout its service life, the LAV has undergone a series of modifications, product improvement programs, and other upgrades to maintain threshold performance levels and increase system capability.