Thursday, February 28, 2013

Sequestration Will Force Marines To Choose Between JLTV, MPC

Major league hat tip Lee!  Great catch!

via DefenseNewsStand.com (if you have a subscription shoot me a copy!)
The Marine Corps will have to choose between the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and the Marine Personnel Carrier if sequestration is implemented, according to a service official.
I can't get behind the firewall but we can assume a few things...

1.  The US Army will be putting major pressure on the Marine Corps to continue the JLTV buy.
2.  Inside the Marine Corps there is a large group of Officers that believe that the JLTV is not needed and that the Marines should pursue upgraded HUMVEEs instead.
3.  The MPC testing that is about to commence will be more important than I initially thought.
4.  The decision on what capabilities the ACV will have will impact the rest of the Marine Corps vehicle fleet.

Consider this.  If the Marine Corps ends up just doing a major upgrade of the AAV then the MPC probably goes forward.  If the Marine Corps selects essentially a new build AAV with redesigned hull---depending on the water speed then the MPC goes forward.  If the Marine Corps gets a completely clean sheet ACV then expect the MPC to be jettisoned.

But those are all guesses.

Whats becoming apparent is that sequestration isn't the simple paper exercise that some believe.  That CRAZY schedule of upgrading the AAV, building the ACV and then the MPC was always questionable to me.

Now its looking like a non-starter.  It was probably a non-starter when the Commandant missed his latest deadline on the ACV.

The issue?

However this plays out the Marine Corps will probably have to make do with a 50 year old Armored Fighting Vehicle carrying Devil Dogs from ship to shore and then on to the objective in the 2020's.

Chesty would be pissed.

4 comments :

  1. before world war two American troops trained with wooden weapons and six by's with the words TANK painted on the side to simulate tanks.
    The next four years I don't see the US land any sizable force amphibiously that will need the new vehicles (fingers crossed) Hope and change!
    I don't believe The current POTUS has the balls to kick in some countries door. he will missile, rocket, mine and drone them but he ain't going to land any landing force.
    If your gonna be leading from behind all you need is a glorified upgraded Hummer. If it's Russia or China your gonna fight ya need an MPC.

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  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5MtjJA3-M8

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  3. Wow. Sequestration kicks in tonight and we are still arguing over which toy to buy. Aren't we living a fantasy land or what.

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  4. Anyone who wants can pay for articles on Defense Newsstand. They are $10 a pop. I cannot afford to download too many but have at them.
    Inside Defense is one of DC most published inside newsletters. And I have had the not too pleasant experience of having to refute or reclama a couple of the published news items~

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