"Future Combat" Fattens Up
One of the big ideas behind the Army's massive modernization effort, Future Combat Systems, was to make American troops more mobile – able to get around the world in a matter of days or weeks, instead of the months that are needed now.
The first step: slim down the service's cannon and armored vehicles. Today, it takes a gargantuan C-17 or C-5 transport plane to lug a single, 32-ton Paladin 155 mm howitzer. Army planners wanted the Paladin's next-gen replacement to weigh in at 19 tons or less – so one could fit inside a much smaller C-130 transport plane, instead.
But now, that's not going to happen, Inside Defense reports. The site has gotten a hold of a draft Army press release which announces that Future Combat System's Manned Ground Vehicles (MGVs) will weigh 24 tons, not 19.
The Army insists that the MGVs will still be able to be carried in a C-130, to "provide a wider range of crossable bridges; improve tactical mobility, enable the reduction of the logistics footprint; and facilitate greater strategic deployability." But it doesn't look like the vehicle will be "ready to fight when it lands," explains Inside Defense editor Dan Dupont. A bunch of material – including armor, perhaps – will have to be added, first.
The add-on process will only take 30 minutes, the Army insists. But given that the Army was promising 19-ton MGVs not too long ago, I'd take that claim with about 5 tons of salt.
"If it's 25 tons today," Army Training and Doctrine Command chief Lt. Gen Kevin Byrnes told Defense News in February, "I guarantee it will be 30 tons next year, because when there's no sizing constraint, we will have more good ideas … and it will cause that thing to grow."
try using south african armoured vehicles they are cheap easy to handle and are built for any type of terrain,us forces humvees have a weakness, nam ely not enough sloping angles to deflect blast of explosions. another problem is that they are to close to the ground and flat sided allowing blast force to fully impact and that in itself is bone jarring, sa vehicles can withstand huge blasts simply due to design, what is wrong with usa, are ur troops just simply expendable dont think heavy, think angles and deflection it will save a lot of good guys lives.usa is a super power think like one
Posted by: eugene van vuuren at March 3, 2006 4:57 AM