The leftist Center for American Progress (CAP) and the Lexington Institute have put out an August 2006 publication called “Marine Corps Equipment After Iraq” [PDF] that looks at the effects of the war in Iraq on the US Marines’ readiness, equipment, and future procurement priorities. DID covered that subject a little while ago in terms of the US Marines’ own plans for its armor and its LAV fleet in particular, covered their forthcoming EFV program in-depth, and noted the maintenance overhang issue as well. This report puts many of these pieces together, and offers its views on the specific implications for the USMC.
EFV: Command variant
Readers may recall that DID’s coverage of the CAP’s “Progressive Quadrennial Defense Review” was (deservedly) unkind due to factual gaps and displays of a lack of expertise, but this report appears to have fewer difficulties along those lines. Of course, one may always decide to agree or disagree with their conclusions. The joint report [PDF] sets out to analyze:
Solpac, Inc., DBA Soltek Pacific in San Diego, CA won $18.6 million for firm-fixed price Task Order 0003 under an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract (N68711-03-D-7059). The monies will finance the design and construction of a combined arms military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) facility for the Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA.
Buildings will be designed for military combat training, and are not intended for daily habitation. Specifications include…
DID has updated its article covering the future NETFIRES NLOS-LS “missiles in a box” system, which will play both a land role in the US Army’s future Objective Force and a naval role as one of the key surface attack modules for the USA’s new Littoral Combat Ships. The basic concept of NETFIRES is to develop a family of low cost artillery-like precision attack missiles based upon a vertical launcher design that can be transported anywhere by Hummer, carried in by helicopter, or even dropped off without a vehicle – and fired remotely as needed by soldiers on the ground. Yet the combat implications go far beyond that simple description. The system cannot replace conventional artillery as a cost-effective way of delivering heavy supporting fire; nevertheless, NETFIRES may end up as one of the USA’s most transformational new systems.
Our NETFIRES anchor article adds a $54 million order connected with the system’s naval uses, while detailing the 2 missiles and other systems that make up NETFIRES and explaining how it works.
