Being halted amid defense budget cuts
“How does that change how we do operations on the ground,” Odierno asked. “These are the kinds of [operations] we want to be able to do, and then technology will continue to help us to improve that.”
The Army’s new operating concept stresses mobility, reliability and survivability, and materials with improved strength-to-weight ratios, toughness and ballistic resistance. It calls for advanced sensors that can locate and identify threats, enable protection systems to counter those threats, and make it less likely an enemy will detect the vehicle.
While such a vehicle is still notional, the Army also has a number of ground vehicle programs underway and upgrades and resets planned for others.
Despite plans for the Ground Combat Vehicle being halted amid defense budget cuts earlier this year, the follow-on Future Fighting Vehicle and Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programs, “will remain on track,” Odierno said.
Future Fighting Vehicle: Army Brig. Gen. David Bassett, program executive officer of Ground Combat Systems, is expected to offer details on the way forward for theFuture Fighting Vehicle (FFV) program at the Association of the US Army expo here this week. The program office is responsible for an array of platforms, modernizing, replacing, sustaining and developing them.