U.S. diversified manufacturer Textron has been selected by the Raytheon Rheinmetall Land Systems, a joint venture of Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and Rheinmetall Defence, as the U.S. chassis manufacturer for the Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

The team of industry leaders is offering Lynx to meet the U.S. Army’s requirement for an Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV).

The selection was based on the company’s unique capabilities in hull fabrication, rolling chassis assembly, integration and testing to the OMFV program.

“Building Lynx in America will support U.S. manufacturing jobs and revitalize the nation’s defense industrial base,” said Sam Deneke, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. “Textron Systems is an experienced manufacturer central to our strategy of leveraging a reliable U.S. supply chain to deliver the world’s most advanced combat vehicle to the U.S. Army.”

In parallel, Textron Systems will prepare to build the Lynx chassis during future production phases. Textron Systems intends to perform the work at its Slidell, Louisiana, manufacturing facility.

“When we say Lynx will be built in America, we mean it,” said Ben Hudson, global head of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Division. “Together with Textron Systems, we will provide the Army with a next-generation combat vehicle that will protect troops and give them a significant advantage in battle.”

The U.S. Army’s OMFV, scheduled for fielding in 2026, is expected to replace the legacy Bradley Fighting Vehicle.

“Textron Systems brings a decades-long heritage of supporting the U.S. Department of Defense and its allies with highly reliable and capable combat vehicles to enhance mission outcomes,” said Lisa Atherton, president and CEO of Textron Systems. “We are proud to be a part of the Lynx team and stand ready to support our teammates and our customer.”

Lynx is a true next-generation, tracked armored fighting vehicle designed to address the critical challenges of the future battlefield. Lynx provides an overmatch advantage for soldiers, growth capacity to support new technologies over the vehicle’s lifetime, and lower life-cycle costs.

Raytheon technology offered for inclusion on Lynx for the U.S. Army includes the company’s advanced weapons, Active Protection System, next-generation thermal sights, the Coyote unmanned aircraft system, as well as cyber protection.