WASHINGTON — The U.S. military wants to replace its Humvee
vehicles in Iraq.
The Marine Corps has been searching for a larger, more capable combat
transport to replace the Humvee.
Officials said the Humvee can no longer
operate in high-threat environments such as Afghanistan and Iraq where
insurgents use improvised explosive devices, Middle East Newsline reported.
"The Humvee A2 is a great vehicle, [but] it has outlived its
usefulness," Kevin McConnell, deputy director of the Fires and Maneuver
Integration Division, said. "We have added very capable armor to the Humvees
in Iraq. But for every pound of armor you add, that's a pound less capable
the vehicle is. We have done a lot of modifications to the vehicle, and it's
at the end of its capabilities. There is just no more you can do for that
vehicle."
Officials said the Fires and Maneuver Integration Division of Marine
Corps Combat Development Command has outlined the requirements for its
future vehicle. They dubbed it the Combat Tactical Vehicle and said it would
be deployed in 2011.
The CTV would be larger and provide more protection than the Humvee.
Officials said the CTV would accommodate up to six Marines as well as three
days of supplies. In contrast, the Humvee, including up-armored versions,
can fit no more than four soldiers.
"We have to plan for increased mobility of the ground combat element,
and we need to plan for [heavier] payloads," McConnell said. "The first
configuration we want to build is a people mover, not a fighting vehicle. It
will take six guys with three days of supplies and be able to perform like a
BMW on the Autobahn."
Officials said the CTV could complement the Expeditionary Fighting
Vehicle, which could transport 17 soldiers. They said three CTVs would
transport a reinforced rifle squad and ensure force protection.
The CTV combines requirements drafted from the Marine Corps Center for
Lessons Learned and the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. Officials said
the requirements of CTV stemmed from lessons learned in the wars in
Afghanistan and Iraq.
The development of CTV would take place in cooperation with the Army,
Navy, Air Force and U.S. Special Operations Command, officials said. They
said the Marine Corps has an inventory of about 20,000 Humvees, while the
army has more than 120,000.
A Marine team has presented initial capabilities of the CTV to the Joint
Requirements Oversight Council and the Marine Requirements Oversight
Council. Officials said the document would undergo revisions by other
services in the military.
"The requirements for [the army's concept] vehicle line up pretty
closely with CTV," McConnell said. "In the end, we and the army are working
very hard to make this a joint program. There are a lot of efficiencies in
doing this with one vehicle, both in production and in lifecycle
management."
