Marine Personnel Carrier. What should we aim for?

BAE SuperAV

Lets talk MPC and what the Marine Corps should be aiming for when it comes to the ACV Phase 1.

First up it must be emphasized that this is an enhancement but not replacement for the AAV/ACV.  We will still need an amphibious tractor to get from ship to shore.  BUT!  We also need a vehicle that will provide protected mobility to our Marines once ashore.  The MTVR needs to revert to its pure logistics role and not continue to serve as a surrogate troop carrier.

Patria AMV

Next we need to give industry a bit of clarity.  I still haven't heard whether or not reports of the "rebirth" of the MPC is true or not.  Additionally it appears that the ACV and AAV Upgrade are in some kind of limbo.  That will not do.  Time to clue them in on what to expect so that we'll have partners in this development and not half baked efforts.

SAIC Terrex

Next up is the tricky part.  We have an opportunity with this program and the US Army showed us the way.

We can finally neck down our ground vehicle programs in a HUGE way.  If we're smart enough and bold enough to develop a family of vehicles along the line of the Stryker system then we will be cooking with gas.  They won't be perfect solutions but by falling in on US Army systems we can save money and get quite a bit done.  The Engineer Support Vehicle?  Awesome.  We should adapt the bits to fit onto whichever vehicle is picked.  NBC vehicle?  Ditto.  It goes down the line.  The only vehicle I wouldn't adapt to Army equipment fits is the MGS.

Japanese Maneuver Combat Vehicle

I'm becoming sold on the concept of wheeled vehicles mounting large caliber guns (up to 105mm) and I think we can leverage work being done around the world to make it a centerpiece of our middle weight, rapidly/forward deployed, crisis response (still hate that term) force.

As part of our family of vehicles we should design a proper mobile gun system (manned) that will serve as infantry support.  By that I mean bunker busting, infantry fighting vehicle killing, anti-personnel dispatching ---monsters of the midway.

But what about tanks?  They'd operate this version of vehicles.  Oh and before you ask we'd put artillery men inside designated 120mm mortar carriers too.

As far as the tanks themselves?  Lets be honest.  The US Army has moved past the M1A1, a decision on whether to upgrade them to Army standards or maintain them as is, is under consideration and whatever choice is made its gonna be expensive.

So what do we do when we need heavy firepower?  We do what was done in the first Gulf War and we get the Army to assign a Tank Brigade to us...this time permanently.  One each for our Marine Expeditionary Brigades.  They'd be stationed at 29 Palms (God save the Soldiers headed there), Lejeune and then finally in say...Australia.  The problem with this is Army manning.  They're cutting to the bone and might not have enough personnel to get this done.  If not then its for wartime use only.

These are all probably decisions to be made by the next Commandant...to include whether or not to proceed with the MPC.  Pity.  We have lost 4 years to the debacle that has become Marine Corps ground vehicle procurement.  Whoever sits in the big chair next has some major league issues on the plate.  Unfortunately that includes what to do with the MPC/ACV/AAV Upgrade.