Reports are everywhere that the EFV will be canceled in upcoming budget cuts. But it would appear that the Marine Corps disagrees.
A full scale public relations effort is underway, and the what is the best tool in the toolbox to get the word out that this vehicle is a winner?
The press! This from the
OC Register.
"Similarly to the current vehicle you launch the vehicle from a ship
... it's our forcible entry to get on to the beachhead," said Maj. Shaun
Doheney, the deputy director of the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch at
Pendleton, as he and other Marines highlighted the qualities of the new
war fighting machine to the media.
The EFV is faster in the water than its predecessor -- traveling at
20 to 25 knots at sea compared with five to seven knots – and its
abilities on land will help today's Marines stay safer plus give them
more firepower, officials said.
"It's the same fighting concept with this vehicle, but it is the
capabilities that this vehicle brings that are significantly more
advanced," Doheney said.
The new vehicle's lethality is another aspect Marine officials pushed
on Tuesday, saying the 17 Marines it can carry along with three
operators won't necessarily have to dismount to defeat every threat they
encounter in battle.
"The more I can keep them buttoned up, the more mobile that I can
keep them, the less susceptible the Marines
are to getting killed by bad guys," said EFV program manager Col. Keith
Moore.
Read the entire article and look carefully at the
attached photos on their site. Several design changes have occurred. I don't know if they're simply cosmetic or if they actually enhance performance but the differences between the EFV and the legacy AAV are startling.
All this leads to a nagging question. If the EFV doesn't make it across the finish line, how far along are BAE and the Marine Corps with an upgrade package for the AAV?
If canceled will the advances found in the EFV flow to the AAV?
The next few months are going to be interesting. More than any other weapon system, the EFV/AAV represent the core amphibious assault mission that is the hallmark of the Marines. If the EFV is canceled and the AAV allowed to retire without replacement then that will signify a serious change in the way that the Marines conduct operations.
