via Defense News.
First up is the continuing effort to replace the amphibious Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program, which was scuttled in 2011. The Corps now says it will gradually modernize several hundred tracked amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs), while buying several hundred wheeled amphibious combat vehicles (ACVs) by 2020. The Corps is also slated to begin buying about 4,500 joint light tactical vehicles starting in 2015.Read the entire article here.
Based on past interactions, Dunford’s approach to modernization and acquisitions may be “very conservative,” the defense analyst said, “and I think he’s going to have problems living with the decisions made in his absence about the ACV.”
The implications are clear and while I agree with the sentiment, its alarming nonetheless. The USMC will probably be using the AAV till 2030...at least.
Why do I say that?
Because Dunford is probably going to review the program. Make a fresh, infantry based analysis of what is needed and reset the whole thing to meet his expectations of the program.
Everything is on hold and I'm sure that the Marine Personnel Carrier manufacturers are making their vehicles swim better but will it be good enough? Will all this revert to a simplified EFV? Will he want a clean sheet product improved tracked replacement?
However you count it we're looking at the Amos years being a case of him spinning his wheels while Marine Corps Armored Programs withered away. Remember this statement by the current Commandant? via Defense Tech.
“There are two answers to that, one is as Commandant of the Marine Corps’s answer which is Before I leave leave office four years from now … we’ll have a program of record, we’ll have steel, there will be a vehicle and I’ll be able to drive it,” Amos said responding to lawmakers questions during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. “I’m trying to pressurize industry, I’m trying to pressurize the acquisition folks, I want the word to get out. If we followed the standard acquisition timeline, which in some cases got us to where we are today, it’ll be 2024.”Amos lied his ass off.
To avoid such a fate, the general said the Department of the Navy will be using a model similar to the one it used to quickly buy and field thousands of MRAPs during the height of the Iraq war.
“Something probably that resembles the sense of urgency that we had for the MRAP but probably a little bit more scheduled, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Now Dunford will have to clean up the mess.
“Both the Army and the Marine Corps need to make some progress on ground mobility needs, balancing an evolving threat against fixed resources,” Hoffman said. “I’d hope that Gen. Dunford will recognize that the AAV is a legacy asset unworthy of continued investment capital, and focus his scarce fiscal resources on the ACV.”
ReplyDeleteTo me that quote says it all and I cannot agree more with it. It is time for us to cut away the AAV7 and embrace the new wheeled vehicles. Going to war with a Havoc with a 30mm remote weapons system will benefit us far more than upgrading the AAV7.
I also think the vehicle that we want cannot be built. We tried so hard with the EFV and it was an epic failure. Nothing has changed since 2011. Aluminum is still the same, water jets still have the same effeciency and diesel engines have not evolved.
Embrace the 80% solution now of a Havoc or SuperAV with a 30mm remote weapons system and a trophy anti-missile system. If we wait for a swimming tractor, assuming we can make it work and I do not think we can, it will be 2030 when it is fielded. If that is the case it will carry Marines to shore that are currently 2 year olds.
i totally agree....with a caveat. we have never seen the work that was submitted to the Program Office by the manufacturers for a tracked vehicle.
Deletewe really don't know what is viable and what isn't. i like the Havoc and the SuperAv but i am concerned that they can't swim from ship to shore.
Nice Info! This is a human nature that if something is not in use they to remove it as soon as possible if they get something in return is the nice thing.
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