One broad area that has witnessed significant programmatic transformation encompasses the Marine Corps Medium and Heavy Tactical Vehicle (M&HTV) fleets.
Original Portfolio
The original PEO Land Systems portfolio contained two tactical vehicle systems: the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) and the Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR).
MTVR is a family of vehicles that performs a growing variety of logistics and tactical functions. Often called the “7-ton” due to its cross-country maximum load, it can carry up to 15 tons on the road. Manufactured by Oshkosh Defense, the vehicles were first fielded in 2001 as replacements for the obsolete M813 series, M923 series, and M925 series vehicles.
MTVR variants include: Standard Cargo and Extended Wheel Base Cargo Trucks; dump trucks; tractors; wreckers; and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Resupply Trucks. The vehicles are reducible or non-reducible height and about half are armored.
The platforms have an on-road cruising range of 300 miles (483 kilometers), the ability to ford 5 feet (1.5 meters) of water, and can traverse a 60 percent gradient and 30 percent side slope with the maximum cross-country load. Operational performance is further enhanced by advanced technologies like the Oshkosh TAK-4® independent suspension system and Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system.
MTVR variants include: Standard Cargo and Extended Wheel Base Cargo Trucks; dump trucks; tractors; wreckers; and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System Resupply Trucks. The vehicles are reducible or non-reducible height and about half are armored.
The LVSR system serves as the “heavy logistics” counterpart to the MTVR. The LVSR is replacing the Marine Corps’ aging Logistics Vehicle System (LVS), which incorporates the MK 48/MK 48A1 front power unit with associated Rear Body Units (RBU) to transport large quantities of supplies around the battlefield.
The Marine Corps had already reached its MTVR Authorized Acquisition Objective (AAO), but when Marine Corps Combat Development and Integration changed the AAO, the variant mix also changed, and now a few more MTVRs are being procured from Oshkosh. PEO Land Systems photo
Developed by Oshkosh Defense, the LVSR includes three variants: MKR 18 Cargo, MKR 16 Tractor, and MKR 15 Wrecker. Company descriptions highlight the system as: “One of the world’s most technologically-advanced logistics platforms,” pointing to its 22.5-ton (20,412 kilograms) on-road/16.5-ton (14,969 kilograms) off-road payload, 600 horsepower diesel engine, Command Zone integrated control and diagnostics, and factory-installed armor integrated into the initial vehicle design.
Program Realignments
Both the end of 2011 and 2012 witnessed a significant portfolio expansion through the directed realignment of the entire Motor Transport portfolio from the former Marine Corps Systems Command Product Group 15 to PEO. The realignment, which focused on the synergies to be obtained from consolidating similar capabilities, brought in programs like the current LVS, the P-19 series fire truck, and multiple trailer programs affiliated with medium and heavy tactical vehicles.
According to Program Manager Medium and Heavy Tactical Vehicles Bryan Prosser of PEO Land Systems, the program consolidation did not come as a complete surprise.
“I will admit that we went through several weeks if not a couple of months of anticipation and expectation without any of the specific details on the ‘who, what, and when’ of the new portfolio. But we were still trying to plan for it and getting ready to make it happen,” he said.
“As part of that process, we started out trying to expand our connections with the folks in ‘Motor T,’” he explained. “Obviously there were already connections between our two offices on some level, but the new connections focused on ‘one team’ of Medium and Heavy Tactical Vehicles.”
The new team set about identifying a set of common issues surrounding the expanded portfolio, ranging from program status to key issues to upcoming decision points.
“Wouldn’t you know that every one of these programs was facing a major milestone decision in the near term,” Prosser said. “And in many cases those had to be adjusted because there were other issues which needed to be resolved first and this impacted the schedules. It would have been nice if we could have started the process a little earlier, but in the end the team did an excellent job adjusting with the schedule realities.”
Acknowledging that one structure for the expanded organization could have inserted the former MARCORSYSCOM elements as “their own team,” Prosser countered, “I really didn’t want to do that because that would have fostered an ‘us and them’ mentality. So we worked with the structure by creating a Medium Team and a Heavy Team. I worked with the leadership team to integrate the programs which transitioned to the PEO into the two teams that we had, spreading them out to not only make them a part of the team but to give them an opportunity to possibly work on other things than just the programs they had arrived with.
“And every day since has been a new adventure,” he added.