Marines Unveil EFV; Gates Takes Aim

[frigidmagi]

DoDbuzz

[quote]Under sunny skies at Quantico, with a crowd of several hundred well wishers and the Marine Corps museum as a backdrop, the Marines displayed the latest prototype of their swimming armored personnel carrier, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV). They unveiled it not quite 24 hours after Defense Secretary Robert Gates publicly questioned the very need for the costly new vehicle.

In one of his now trademark policy shifting speeches, this one at the Navy League’s annual conference, Gates pointed to the tracked amphibian as one of two examples, the other being carriers, of weapons that fall into a yawning gap “between the capabilities we are pursuing and those that are actually needed in the real world of tomorrow.â€

[Cpl Kendall]

My main concern would be mines TBH, flat bottoms are pretty bad for that sort of thing and I doubt this thing is particularly well armoured. Frankly I think the Marines would have been better served with more LCAC's and increased numbers of MBT's and existing APC's.

But you should definitely not dump your tanks, they've literally been a God send in Afghanistan.

[B4UTRUST]

My main concern would be mines TBH, flat bottoms are pretty bad for that sort of thing and I doubt this thing is particularly well armoured. Frankly I think the Marines would have been better served with more LCAC's and increased numbers of MBT's and existing APC's.

But you should definitely not dump your tanks, they've literally been a God send in Afghanistan.

Marine Corps Times

EFV has MRAP-level protection, Conway says
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 2, 2010 17:21:36 EST

The Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle has cleared an important obstacle, proving in tests that it can sustain the blast of an improvised explosive device as well as a mine-resistant vehicle, Marine officials said.

Commandant Gen. James Conway told the House Armed Services Committee last week that he was “very pleasantly surprisedâ€

[Cpl Kendall]

Wow, thats impressive given the size of the thing.

[frigidmagi]

Yeah. Let me also point out it does better then the AAV, the vehicle it's replacing that is in Iraq and other places right now.

[Cpl Kendall]

Wait, the AAV is actually deployed to the sandbox?

[frigidmagi]

Yes. The Marine Corp only has so much to go around, so it uses what it has. If we tried to get Bradleys both the MEU's and the Army would raise a howl.

Course keep in mind the Army Brass goes to bed every night praying for the Marine Corps death (because odds are good they would get our budget on top of theirs)... I should point out that the Navy and Airforce both pray for each other's death with the every now and again wild Army officer who prays to reabsorb the Air Force... It's all about the budget you understand.

Anyways if we got Bradleys, Marine Expeditionary Units couldn't stage small scale interventions and operations without landing a troop ship (that's usually bad idea) they need something they can roll off the damn ship and ride into the shore. It's a hell of a ride to. You think you'll sink at any moment as the water comes on in. The Army would scream that the Marines are becoming a clone and should be cut for efficiency sake (you know I'll agree to do that the day the Army actually puts any effort into doing our job as being the react and deployment force. I never see the Army having units roaming around to piss out bush fires or training for anything but massive wars). Since without Afghan or Iraq the MEUs are the whole Focus of the USMC, what the MEUs need rules our budget.

And what the MEU needs is a armored troop carrier that can bring marines a troop ship to the shore. Supposely the Osprey was gonna make the EFV unnecessary and make us all air mobile but you saw how well that pipe dream went.

[Cpl Kendall]

My respect for the individual Marine just went up a notch.

[B4UTRUST]

Hell, Kendall, I'll be the first to admit to ragging on Marines any time it's possible. Most of the services rag on each other, it's just the way we are. Kinda like a brotherly type thing I suppose. But let me tell you, having been over there in the shit I'd much rather have a Marine next to me than a Airman or a Soldier if bullets started flying.

[Cpl Kendall]

Oh I have much more respect (and use) for the Marines then the actual US Army.

The Army always struck me as more cowboyish then the Marines, who at least have a semblance of professionalism. Plus they seem to march more, and any guy who can hump 20+ klicks in full winter kit has my respect.

[frigidmagi]

any guy who can hump 20+ klicks in full winter kit has my respect.

*groans* You would bring that up. I will hate bridgeport til I die. Not just the march, but the fucking skies!