USMC to spend $225M on new amphibious combat vehicles

[eddo36 16]

 

(CNN) - The U.S. Marine Corps is spending $225 million as it takes another stab at replacing its aging fleet of amphibious assault vehicles.

 

The Marine Corps on Tuesday awarded two contractors -- BAE Systems and SAIC -- contracts to develop 13 prototypes of the new vehicle.

 

The Marines announced that they hope to have infantry paired up with the new amphibious combat vehicles (or ACVs) by 2020.

 

"ACV 1.1 is the first phase of eventually replacing the (assault amphibious vehicle) with a truly amphibious, armor-protected personnel carrier to support the infantry ashore," Col. John B. Atkinson, director of the Marines' Fires and Maneuver Integration Division, said in a statement.

 

The amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs) in use now have become too costly to repair and upgrade, in part because many of their components are no longer manufactured, according to the announcement. The replacement will be an eight-wheeled vehicle similar to mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles used on land.

 

Whichever prototype is selected will include an onboard weapons systems. But the corps is also looking at a larger update of the program with options for variations on the new ACV vehicle.

 

The movement on a new amphibious vehicle program comes after the Marines spent $3 billion on a previous failed project to replace the vehicles. A Congressional Research Service report earlier this year found that the planned amphibious expeditionary fighting vehicle (EFV) program was canceled "due to poor reliability demonstrated during operational testing and excessive cost growth."

 

While the new ACV is being tested, the Marines will update their existing 392 amphibious vehicles to better protect against mine blasts, upgrade their engines and improve land and water mobility, according to the announcement.

A call and email to the Marines communications department were not immediately returned Wednesday.

 

[chortles 263]

Funny, I distinctly recall that then-CMC Amos claimed at the time that it all came down to cost, without mention of reliability issues... sounds a bit retroactive to claim.

[Nicholas 5]

Never quite understood why we pay people to develop PROTOTYPES.  Maybe I should start a company and get some government contracts to build a "prototype" of some kind and earn all kinds of cash.  Maybe charge them exorbitant amounts for some sort of technology advances.   :mad:  :mad:    Still can't believe we PAY these people to develop something, when they should develop it on their own dollar and EARN our purchase or contract.

[red oct 2]

I thought the marines were already getting a new vehicle that rolled on tracks called a AAAV. Did that get scrapped?

[negah 26]

Never quite understood why we pay people to develop PROTOTYPES.  Maybe I should start a company and get some government contracts to build a "prototype" of some kind and earn all kinds of cash.  Maybe charge them exorbitant amounts for some sort of technology advances.   :mad:  :mad:    Still can't believe we PAY these people to develop something, when they should develop it on their own dollar and EARN our purchase or contract.

 

For the same reason the universities get money from the state: for making progress.

Without it we would still be reliant on single inventors who might or might not invent something new.

In fact you said it yourself :)

Granted our industry gets sometimes way too much money for nothing due to lobbyism (such a nice word for large scale corruption).

[pulstar 55]

Considering the US army spent +100bn to chase after ~70 AQ operatives way back, are you surprised by this sinkhole anymore? No no it's healthcare that's bankrupting your country ^_^

[da12thMonkey 1943]

I thought the marines were already getting a new vehicle that rolled on tracks called a AAAV. Did that get scrapped?

 

Yes, the AAAV/EFV was cancelled back in 2012.