Talking with friends about the Marine Personnel Carrier Program and there are some disturbing facts sitting in front of our faces.
1. The MPC was conceived as a way to make up for a transport shortfall because the numbers of EFV's was going to be reduced due to costs. The plan was to be able to transport the assault wave in EFV's with follow on forces to gain battlefield mobility with the MPC.
2. The MPC promises to give battlefield mobility to keep up with the M1 Abrams, a certain degree of ocean going ability, protection against IEDs and full ship board compatibility. In essence it will be more capable than the current AAV in all realms EXCEPT for ship to shore amphibious ops.
3. For better or worse the USMC is moving toward a quasi-Commando force with a premium being placed on aerial insertion of not only raid but forcible entry forces. With the current budgetary pressure and programed spending being locked into the air wing's F-35, AH-1Z, UH-1Y, MV-22, and CH-53K I don't expect this to change any time soon.
4. Supposedly the AAV is going to be upgraded, the MPC procured and the Amphibious Combat Vehicle developed to replace the AAV, which the EFV failed to do. How are we going to afford to procure the MPC, upgrade the AAV AND develop the ACV?
Me and my buddies came to this conclusion.
The Marine Corps is playing games.
The MPC is going to be the replacement for the AAV and the ACV will be ultimately canceled due to budget pressures. The JLTV will be touted as making up for overland mobility shortfalls and the CH-53K will be dragged out of development purgatory in order to tout the MPC's ship to shore mobility, additionally the Navy will push the follow on to the LCAC and deem the amphibious tractor obsolete.
I hope I'm wrong but little else makes sense. Of course HQMC could be playing it straight and the plan really is to develop these vehicles as planned. But if that's the case then what is the make up of the Assault Amphibian Battalions?
How many MPC's will they have? How many AAV/ACV's? Will the make up depend on locale? Will we tailor all AAV/ACV Battalions to support ops in the Pacific while using MPC's in the Middle East and Africa?
Lots of questions.
Very few answers from the program office.