Program Executive Office (PEO) Ground Combat Systems

Program Executive Office (PEO) Ground Combat Systems
Name	Program Executive Office (PEO) Ground Combat Systems
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Role	Acquisition and lifecycle management for ground combat systems
Headquarters	Warren, Michigan
Commander1	See Organization and Leadership

Program Executive Office (PEO) Ground Combat Systems PEO Ground Combat Systems manages acquisition, modernization, and lifecycle support for armored and tracked combat vehicle fleets such as the M1 Abrams, M2 Bradley, and related systems. It interfaces with major defense contractors, United States Army Materiel Command, and research institutions to deliver capability to units like III Corps, 1st Armored Division, and the 82nd Airborne Division. Its responsibilities span requirements coordination with U.S. Department of Defense, testing with U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command, and sustainment alongside Anniston Army Depot and Tacom LCMC.

Overview

PEO Ground Combat Systems oversees integrated programs for armored vehicles, turret systems, propulsion, survivability, and mission modules supporting formations including Combined Arms Center, U.S. Army Forces Command, and U.S. Army Futures Command. It maintains stakeholder relationships with services such as the United States Marine Corps, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and industry leaders like General Dynamics Land Systems, BAE Systems Land & Armaments, and Oshkosh Corporation. The office aligns efforts with doctrine from Maneuver Center of Excellence and interoperability standards from NATO and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Organization and Leadership

Leadership includes a Program Executive Officer appointed under Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), supported by deputy PEOs for programs, engineering, and contracting. The PEO liaises with acquisition authorities such as Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and collaborates with laboratories like U.S. Army Research Laboratory and Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center. Program offices are structured around portfolios including Abrams, Bradley, Engineering Change Proposals, and modernization initiatives linked to Project Manager-level offices and the Program Manager network.

Major Programs and Projects

Major programs include lifecycle management of the M1 Abrams, M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, turret modernization efforts for Abrams Modernization, the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle effort coordinated with NGCV Cross-Functional Team, and active protection systems like those developed through partnership with Raytheon Technologies and Israel Military Industries. Other projects encompass digital architecture adoption from Joint All-Domain Command and Control, integration of sensors and networking from DARPA’s Ground X-Vehicle Technologies, and mobility upgrades involving firms such as Cummins Inc. and Allison Transmission. Programs address survivability technologies tested at venues like Yuma Proving Ground and Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Acquisition and Procurement Processes

Acquisition follows processes defined by Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement and overseen by Defense Acquisition Executive guidance. Procurement actions coordinate contracting offices including Army Contracting Command and utilize contract vehicles like Other Transaction Authorities and Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity awards with companies such as Lockheed Martin, General Electric, and Northrop Grumman. Source selection integrates cost-estimating teams from Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation and acquisition workforce standards from Defense Acquisition University. Milestone decision reviews involve Joint Requirements Oversight Council inputs and compliance with Title 10 of the United States Code.

Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation

RDT&E integrates efforts across the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, ARL, and partner universities including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Development activities coordinate with programs funded by Office of Naval Research or serviced by National Aeronautics and Space Administration partnerships for advanced materials and propulsion. Testing and evaluation are conducted at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Yuma Proving Ground, and White Sands Missile Range, with instrumentation support from Sandia National Laboratories and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Live-fire and survivability trials follow protocols established by Director, Operational Test and Evaluation.

International Cooperation and Foreign Military Sales

PEO engagements include Foreign Military Sales coordination with Defense Security Cooperation Agency, export controls under Bureau of Industry and Security, and interoperability with partners such as United Kingdom, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Poland. Cooperative programs and technology transfers have involved firms like Rheinmetall, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, and multinational procurement frameworks through NATO Support and Procurement Agency. Agreements comply with Arms Export Control Act provisions and integrate partner test events at multinational exercises like Operation Atlantic Resolve and NATO Trident Juncture.

Budget, Funding, and Contracting History

Funding allocations are sourced from annual appropriations set by United States Congress committees including the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee and executed through the Department of the Army budgeting process in coordination with Office of Management and Budget. Historical contracting milestones include multi-year sustainment contracts with General Dynamics, competitive recompetes among defense primes, and rapid prototyping awards under Congressional provisions such as the Defense Appropriations Act. Audit and oversight involve Government Accountability Office reviews and Inspector General evaluations from Department of Defense Office of Inspector General.

Category:United States Army acquisition units and formations