Two TD awards were made on Aug. 18, 2011, and later upheld in a Dec. 5, 2011, GAO protest decision. The TD phase teams are led by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, L.P. and General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc.

Meanwhile, as part of the examination of non-developmental vehicle options, in late spring of 2012 the Army looked at designs including a Stryker with double-V hull; Bradley with turret; modified Bradley with raised hull and the turret removed and replaced by a Kongsberg remote weapon station; Swedish CV-9035; and the Israeli Namer armored infantry fighting vehicle. The systems were examined at White Sands Missile Range during the same general time frame as NIE 12.2.

Current plans project a Milestone B decision to move into the next program phase around the end of calendar year 2013. However, while the Army continues to emphasize the criticality of GCV, late 2012 witnessed the release of a report by the Congressional Budget Office, titled “The Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle Program and Alternatives,” that examines the GCV program and alternative lower cost approaches that the Army could take to improve its combat vehicle fleet. It remains to be seen how this environment might affect GCV program plans over the long run.

 

Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

A third modernization priority highlighted in the Army’s 2012 Posture Statement involves the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. As explained in the statement, the JLTV is a joint service program between the Army and Marine Corps that “will replace approximately one-third of the Army’s oldest unarmored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV). The JLTV incorporates the strengths of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles that the HMMWV family of vehicles does not provide. The HMMWV was not designed to be used as an armored combat vehicle, but it was often employed as one during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. In contrast, the JLTV will be designed for this role from the outset. It will be capable of operating across the range of military operations and physical environments, providing improved mobility and protection for soldiers. The JLTV balances protection, payload, performance and improved fuel efficiency in one affordable and sustainable vehicle. It will also be fully integrated into the network to enhance the effectiveness of ground forces.”

In August 2012, the Army announced the award of three Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) firm-fixed contracts for the JLTV family of vehicles. The EMD awards were made to AM General, LLC., South Bend, Ind.; Lockheed Martin Corporation, Grand Prairie, Texas; and Oshkosh Corporation, Oshkosh, Wis.

In conjunction with the three EMD awards, U.S. Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Lloyd Austin observed, “In developing the requirements for this new vehicle we collaborated closely with the Marine Corps and industry, incorporating the collective lessons learned over the past decade of war. I am confident when all is said and done we will achieve the most capable, affordable vehicle that optimizes performance, payload, and soldier protection in our light tactical vehicle fleet for the future.”

The EMD phase for the JLTV program is scheduled to last 33 months. The EMD contracts include the delivery of 22 “full-up” prototype vehicles starting 12 months after contract award, followed by contractor support to a comprehensive 14-month U.S. government test program that will include blast testing, automotive testing, and user evaluations of the industry designs.

 

Soldier Systems

The final area of modernization identified in the Army’s early 2012 Posture Statement was focused on the Army squad. Describing it as “the foundation of the decisive force … the cornerstone of all units,” it notes, “To ensure the success of combat operations in the future, the Army will invest in systems that consider the squad as a team rather than a collection of individuals. This approach will guarantee that the squad will not be in a fair fight but will have overmatch. The Army will continue to invest in soldier systems that enable the lethality, protection, situational awareness and mobility of the individual soldier in his or her squad. These systems include small arms, night vision, soldier sensors, body armor and individual clothing and equipment.”

U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno expanded on the theme eight months later during his Eisenhower Luncheon address before the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

“To truly become a force capable of engaging around the world also requires a modernization strategy that is centered on our soldiers and squad,” Odierno said. “We must empower them with unmatched lethality, protection, and situational awareness to achieve tactical dominance. It entails an overarching network architecture that connects all echelons – from squad to Joint Task Force – to ensure leaders have the right information at the right time to make the best possible decisions, therefore enabling mission command. It includes network-ready combat and tactical wheeled vehicles designed to maneuver our formations with increased lethality and mobility, while optimizing survivability. In total, our modernization efforts will prepare the entire force for the complex and uncertain battlefield by putting squads with precise information and overmatch capability at the decisive time and place to achieve dominance of the operational environment. At the same time, we must preserve the ability to reassemble our forces rapidly, building the mass necessary to decisively defeat a determined enemy. In pursuing these goals, we ensure that we remain an Army capable of many missions, at many speeds, under many conditions.”

This article was first published in Defense: Winter 2013 Edition.