The USMC Marine Personnel Carrier Contest so far.

Terrex 8x8...the new boy on the block

Patria AMV

Left off the photo list is the Super AV 8x8.

Think about the RFI for this program.

An off the shelf solution to for a wheeled 8x8 Marine Personnel Carrier.

In my basic way of thinking that eliminates the Super AV 8x8.  Also left off this list is the Piranha 3, the real monster in the room General Dynamics.

I just don't find the offering interesting and its a bit dated in its design concept.  It predates the Stryker and I'm not convinced that it will pass blast tests in its configuration as designed for the Brazillian or Spanish Marine Corps.

I personally feel that with the news that the Terrex 8x8 is now in the field that this is a two vehicle race.

The Terrex vs. the Havoc (AMV)

The Havoc is proven world wide, has a substantial following and is supported by the largest defense manufacturer in the US.

Its also been in the hands of Marines who have given it rave reviews.

The Terrex is a son of Singapore.  Its technologically advanced and if the Marine Corps follows the US Army in networking its forces (which would make nothing but sense) then the network capable Terrex would seem to hold an edge.

But all of this pales in comparison to a somewhat troubling fact to a traditionalist like myself.

WE HAVE HEARD NOTHING ABOUT THE AAV UPGRADE PROGRAM!

All these programs are being run out of the same office yet the only one that has any traction is the MPC.  The AAV upgrade is stuck in development quicksand and the Amphibious Combat Vehicle is locked away in a dungeon not to be seen.

Are we seeing a subtle hint that the future of Marine Amphibious ops is going to rest in the wheeled category?  Is the US Marine Corps going to follow a path that the Army left and is about to go majority wheeled?

I hope not.

The battles of the past show the fallacy of conventional landing craft in the Pacific.

Modern warfare shows that wheeled vehicles just lack the cross country mobility of tracked ones.  Heck, even combat in Afghanistan shows that sticking to roads is deadly!

More to come on these issues and the MPC contest.  Confidence is not high that HQMC will get this one right.