Have we been too hard on the Terrex?

I got a note from Singapore and while it accuses me of nationalism and bias against the Terrex in the Marine Corps Personnel Carrier competition (which I think is unmitigated bullshit) I do wonder if I've been too hard on the Terrex.

I personally don't think so but lets go over the players again.

Lockheed Martin Havoc.  This is probably the strongest player in the game if you're talking about a pure combat vehicle.  Its combat proven and performed remarkably well in Afghanistan.  I didn't consider the Patria AMV (Havoc) to be cost competitive but when you consider the desire to keep workers working you can bet they're gonna push down the price.

BAE Super AV.  This vehicle shows the promise of being the best swimmer.  It also has the added advantage of being able to rely on a supply line to help lower costs.  If its a pure cost shoot out they will be tough to beat...especially with IVECO willing to sell its soul to win a US military contract.

General Dynamics LAV/Stryker.  Combat proven and already familiar to the Corps.  Consider it a Havoc junior.  I'll be extremely interested to see how they get this vehicle sized to carry 9 Marines that are 95th percentile.

Terrex AV2.

This is the blind spot.  I know little about the other vehicles but the Terrex is really an unknown.  I've credited it with being technologically superior but touch screens throughout the vehicle don't make it the proper one to carry Marines into battle.

Tell me where the Terrex is obviously superior to the other competitors.  I don't know and neither does the letter writer.

I haven't been too hard on the Terrex.  The issue is the same that faces Israeli built equipment.  The Israeli's build some of the finest military equipment on the planet but its geared to local conditions and to their way of war.  I see Singapore falling into the same box.

My opinion but I just don't see the Terrex making the final cut.  But I could easily be wrong.

Gunny helps Hollywood get it right...

Just glancing through some of my feeds on my soon to be killed Google Reader, I ran across the advertisement for GI Joe Retaliation.

I was about to keep going when the photo of the Joe with the SCAR hit me.

Son of a bitch!  The guy has the latest "setup" going on his rifle and even shows a little weapons knowledge with keeping his finger off the trigger and such.

I flowed through the other advertising photos and what do you know.  The guys are all showing a bit of "real deal" military gear mixed in with the fanciful.

Hollywood isn't that good.  They got some professional help to get so much "right".  Let me introduce you to Gunny Terry.

This is from IMDb.

Gunnery Sergeant Quay Terry is a California Native who has served in the US Marine Corps for twenty years. An Iraq War veteran, Terry combines his active duty experience and his extensive knowledge of military history and tactics and is one of the most sought after technical advisers in the industry. He continues to serve his country as a Reservist in the Marine Corps.

SWEET!

Good work if you can get it.  Technical adviser for Hollywood flicks....Kool.

The US Army finally gets its attack planes.

An MQ-1B Gray Eagle UAS, one of four currently in use at Fort Hood, sits on display at Robert Gray Army Airfield March 6 during a media event held to introduce the newest UAS training program at Fort Hood and mark the platform’s first daytime flight at the installation and 100 incident-free flight hours. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

via Ft Hood Sentinel

The future of the Army’s unmanned aeria1 systems program made its Fort Hood debut March 6 with its first daylight flight after years of planning and months of night flights. 
With oversight from the 21st Cavalry Brigade (Air Combat), Soldiers from Company E, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, conducted the UAS platform’s first day flight at Fort Hood. 
Daylight flight was just one of the milestones the UAS met, as that day also marked 100 hours of incident-free flight hours at the installation. 
It was a big day, not only for the first unit of Soldiers to train on the new UAS at Fort Hood, but also for the brigade tasked with training them and others on the Gray Eagle platform. 
“We are very proud of the events going on with Gray Eagle,” Col. Neil Hersey, commander, 21st Cav. Bde., said. “This is the Army’s newest, most advanced UAS.” 
This is the third unit 21st Cav. has trained, but the first that is conducting their training at Fort Hood.

Interesting.

No one is talking about it but you've got to wonder if Army Aviation isn't keeping an eye on the work that the Navy is doing with the X-47B.

Imagine that UAV in Army colors, flying Army missions, under Army control....

If they can have Gray Eagles then why not X-47's?

NOTE:  They painted the UAV in grey, why not their helicopters?

Manny Pacheco. The most important man when it comes to Marine armor you'll never hear about.

Members Were Present and Accounted For on June 1 as Al Eskalis (far right) and Brenda Varnadore (4th from l) were promoted to major and master sergeant respectively. USMCCCA members attending the ceremonies were (from l) Manny Pacheco, Ronna Weyland, Paxton, Varnadore, Col. Bryan Salas, Joe Espinosa, Sal Cardella and Eskalis.

When it comes to Marine Corps armor...especially when it comes to the AAV Upgrade, the Amphibious Combat Vehicle and the Marine Personnel Carrier, every Marine either knows or can quickly enough find the chain of command.

Its simplicity itself...even for someone who has weak Google-foo (yours truly) go to Marine Corps Systems Command Website, look up PEO Land organization chart....see that the projects you're looking for are under AAA and then run straight into a road block.

Wow.  My beloved Corps is getting a bit stingy when it comes to info on this most important of projects.

But undeterred you seek comment from the boys at Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch on the vehicle from Singapore (Terrex AV 8x8) thats in the water out there and get....no where.

They send you to talk to the guys at 1st MarDiv.

The guys at 1st MarDiv send you to talk to the guys at 1st MEF.

The guys at 1st MEF send you to talk to Manny.  I asked for confirmation that the Terrex AV 8x8 was actually at AVTB undergoing swim tests and I feel confident in printing his response (meaning if I get an angry e-mail from him threatening me to take it down that it will...not because I'm worried about a squad of Marines attacking but because I want to stay on his good side)....

As I mentioned yesterday, the Marine Corps (PM AAA) issued contracts late last year to four vendors for the demonstration and studies phase for an advanced generation eight-wheeled armored Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC). Those vendors include Lockheed Martin, BAE, GDLS and SAIC. All four companies will have a variant of their vehicle at AVTB for a variety of water mobility and habitability testing throughout the spring and summer of this year.
MPC is intended to be a highly protected and swim-capable vehicle, with requirements shaped to provide a balance of performance, protection, and payload to ensure it is effective across the full range of military operations.
As for your specific question on the Terrex it is SAIC's variant into this testing. They are slated to do some government swim testing later this month. They may have already done some swim test at AVTB as part of their pre-test. That is something that they would have contracted directly with AVTB for support and not part of our (PM AAA) contract. All of this testing is vendor sensitive and specific so you will not have more than one vendor at AVTB at a time.
Again these are just demonstrations and studies contracts --- basically a way for the government to validate the performance capabilities of these platforms. 

Ok.

I feel confident that the tip I got on the Terrex being at the AVTB is spot on.   What I'm not sure of is whether or not its undergone any changes in design.  That is irking me.  I'd love to see pics of it.

Another thing has me a bit sad.

The critics of the F-35 and the EFV have succeeded in one thing.

The era of open development of vehicles and aircraft is definitely over.  In prior years the EFV and the F-35 probably could have moved forward, now they're under such a microscope that no manufacturer would dare expose a project to the type of scrutiny and venom that those two programs suffered.

Lastly the Commandant talked about Civilian Marines.  I didn't buy it, but in this case I think it applies.  I've seen Program Managers come and go (on the military side) over the years.  I've seen staffs change and get re-arranged.

The only stabilizing influence has come from those Civilian Marines in that office.  You want to talk about tribal knowledge?  It resides with the Civilians, not the military members of Marine Corps Systems Command.  By the time a Marine actually learns the insides and out of the place its time for him to move on.

That makes Manny probably the most important person in the office if Marine Corps armor is important to you.

Sidenote:  General Dynamics and BAE won contracts to develop the Amphibious Combat Vehicle.  I wonder if that will have any bearing on the MPC.

Google Reader is going away. Help!

Google Reader is going away...Damn you Google!  And I need a replacement that's as lightweight and clean.

Does one exist or am I stuck with unfamiliar setups like "Feedly" and such?  I'm definitely open to suggestions!

Today's Public Service Announcement.

Common sense if you ask me.