Thursday, May 01, 2014

Corps doubles the number of MRAPS it will keep

Thanks for the link Jonathan!


via Marine Corps Times
In a move that reflects a changing Marine Corps mission increasingly focused on global crisis response, service officials have decided to double the number of Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles the Corps will keep following the end of fighting in Afghanistan.
The Marine Corps now plans to keep 2,500 MRAPs, said Lt. Gen. William Faulkner, deputy commandant for installations and logistics, rather than the 1,230 they had originally planned to retain. That decision, he said, was reached less than two months ago at the behest of Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Jim Amos.
“We revisited our number, and things had changed,” Faulkner told Marine Corps Times in an interview. “Over the last 12 months, as you know, [special-purpose Marine air ground task forces], every geographic combatant commander wants one. … Our commandant gave us some pretty specific guidance, and said ‘Hey, look, if we believe we have a requirement for this capability, which has been battle-tested and combat proven and saved a lot of Marines’ lives, I’d rather hold onto these items, get them reset and put them in an admin storage program, than dispose of them.’ ”
Sorry.  I just don't buy it.  Keeping even more MRAPs than planned flies in the face of the ground vehicle campaign.  The JLTV, an upgraded AAV and according to HQMC, the MPC (now called by the idiots in the puzzle palace the ACV 1) were suppose to provide protection against IEDs.

Additionally the SPMAGTF-CR are all aviation based and will not have the ability to fall in on MRAPs.  Even if the USAF stated that they would fly them in, it would still go against what that unit is suppose to be.  Quick reacting!

My guess?

I'm not sure.

It does seem that they're still trying to free up money.  If you delay the JLTV, the MPC is already delayed beyond recognition and add the so called upgrade to the AAV to the delay list then that's another chunk of money to provide the abomination known as the F-35 a little bit more cover.

5 months and we can get an accounting of how much bullshit Amos has been shoveling....assuming we don't get another administration ass kisser in the Commandant's chair. 

3 comments :

  1. I bet your current generation MRAP's are still gonna be more Ambush/IED resistant than any upgraded AAV or whatever acronym you throw behind your bradley/stryker replacement. Though, from the looks of your SPMAGTF-CR and the air force remarks about delivering them, they seem destined to be Bomb Proof Limo's and GMC's to get your Diplomats to safety from all those hostile countries whose number just keeps increasing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Other than that, Maybe.....just Maybe, Obama thinks the Afghan Mission isnt over yet and a people are preparing for a prolonged stay.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. this doesn't have anything to do with Afghanistan or anything close to reality. its all about perception. the SPMAGTF-CR was designed to give Hillary and Obama cover for their failure to decide on a course of action while troops were under fire and it makes the excuse that we didn't have forces in the area (even though we did) seem plausible because we're setting up these quick reaction forces.

      Delete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.