Talking with friends about the Marine Personnel Carrier Program and there are some disturbing facts sitting in front of our faces.
1. The MPC was conceived as a way to make up for a transport shortfall because the numbers of EFV's was going to be reduced due to costs. The plan was to be able to transport the assault wave in EFV's with follow on forces to gain battlefield mobility with the MPC.
2. The MPC promises to give battlefield mobility to keep up with the M1 Abrams, a certain degree of ocean going ability, protection against IEDs and full ship board compatibility. In essence it will be more capable than the current AAV in all realms EXCEPT for ship to shore amphibious ops.
3. For better or worse the USMC is moving toward a quasi-Commando force with a premium being placed on aerial insertion of not only raid but forcible entry forces. With the current budgetary pressure and programed spending being locked into the air wing's F-35, AH-1Z, UH-1Y, MV-22, and CH-53K I don't expect this to change any time soon.
4. Supposedly the AAV is going to be upgraded, the MPC procured and the Amphibious Combat Vehicle developed to replace the AAV, which the EFV failed to do. How are we going to afford to procure the MPC, upgrade the AAV AND develop the ACV?
Me and my buddies came to this conclusion.
The Marine Corps is playing games.
The MPC is going to be the replacement for the AAV and the ACV will be ultimately canceled due to budget pressures. The JLTV will be touted as making up for overland mobility shortfalls and the CH-53K will be dragged out of development purgatory in order to tout the MPC's ship to shore mobility, additionally the Navy will push the follow on to the LCAC and deem the amphibious tractor obsolete.
I hope I'm wrong but little else makes sense. Of course HQMC could be playing it straight and the plan really is to develop these vehicles as planned. But if that's the case then what is the make up of the Assault Amphibian Battalions?
How many MPC's will they have? How many AAV/ACV's? Will the make up depend on locale? Will we tailor all AAV/ACV Battalions to support ops in the Pacific while using MPC's in the Middle East and Africa?
Lots of questions.
Very few answers from the program office.
Maybe the Corp needs a memo that without forced entry from the sea it loses it's unique status reason for existence. Replacing the AAV should be the first priority and if they're willing to go with even less amphibious capability than the AAV in the MPC then I'd submit it would be very straight forward to get an AAV replacement as the long distance and high water speed requirement is clearly dead.
ReplyDeleteNow personally I always thought the underlying doctrine supporting the requirements for EFV were ridiculous in that it was too dangerous for the Gators to close to 20 miles but somehow the battle space was prepared for a beach assault. If the Gators are not going to get close enough for MPC to replace the AAV there is no reason why a better vehicle, like EFV without the high water speed requirement and the needed 2,700 hp engine, isn't being sought.
Moreover, the notion that MPC can operate everywhere is suspect. Right now the Stryker is having a lot of issues operating off road due in part to the weight issue with all the added protection.
Part of being expeditionary should be the capability to operate anywhere and in a lot of cases this means tracked not wheeled vehicles. Sadly it does look like that perhaps this simply about buying something affordable instead of meeting requirements.
The corps needs to wake up. Without the acv or a done right upgraded aav the corps looses. Wake the f up ground vehicle systems your lagging behind the test of the world.
ReplyDeleteyou're absolutely right.
ReplyDeletehey, you're ANGLICO. is that Marine Special Ops or are you all like Scout Snipers...kinda in between. also what's the difference between ANGLICO and being able to call for fire and adjust artillery strikes. i know its complex but don't understand how.
lastly where do you all fit into the MEU? i know ANGLICO goes out with each one but are you assigned as needed to MARSOC too?