bobdina
06-04-2009, 08:21 PM
Refitted Bradleys eyed as M113 replacement
By Kris Osborn
kosborn@militarytimes.com
The Army may add up to four new Bradley Fighting Vehicle variants as it retires its aging M113 Armored Personnel Carriers, service officials said.
The $769 million requested for Bradleys in 2010 is slightly less than the $842 million allocated in 2009.
Gen. George Casey, the service’s chief of staff, said the Army will likely spend even more on Bradleys and M1 Abrams tanks, starting in about five years.
“We have invested very heavily in Bradley and Abrams recapitalization in the last several years,” Casey said at a May 19 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. “We’re in a position now where the Bradley fleet is good for another five or 10 years and the Abrams is good for 15 to 20 years.” The Army is asking for $2.4 billion to buy tactical and combat wheeled vehicles in 2010, less than half of the $5.6 billion allotted for this year. That’s because of the cancellation of the vehicle portion of the Future Combat Systems.
“Right now, the Army is considering all options” for replacing the 10-ton M113s, including Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, Strykers and Bradleys, said Lt. Col. Bill Sheehy, who manages the Bradley and M113 programs.
“I don’t expect any decisions to be made until after the QDR [Quadrennial Defense Review] is published,” Sheehy said.
Among the options are four tougher Bradley variants by BAE Systems, which showed off some of them in May at an armor conference at Fort Knox, Ky.
“From a standpoint of commonality across the HBCT [Heavy Brigade Combat Teams], it has a lot of leverage. It has a lot of the same automotive structure. It makes a lot of sense,” Sheehy said.
Sheehy said the Bradley has advantages over the Stryker as a potential M113 replacement.
“There is also more space in a Bradley hull than there is in an M113 and Stryker,” he said.
“A heavy brigade must have an ambulance, mortar and command-and-control vehicles. Our goal is to find a common balance of affordability and capability,” said Adam Zarfoss, who directs Bradley programs for BAE.
Sheehy said the Army is also looking at the possibility of putting a V-shaped hull on a Bradley chassis.
BRADLEY OPTIONS
Four Bradley variants have been proposed by BAE Systems:
Ambulatory Medical Evacuation Vehicle:
Designed to carry medical equipment, four patients on litters and eight ambulatory patients.
Mortar Vehicle:
Replaces Bradley turret with M1064 mortar.
Command Post: An armored command and-control version.
General Purpose Vehicle: Designed to do the M113’s jobs.
A prototype will be in production soon
By Kris Osborn
kosborn@militarytimes.com
The Army may add up to four new Bradley Fighting Vehicle variants as it retires its aging M113 Armored Personnel Carriers, service officials said.
The $769 million requested for Bradleys in 2010 is slightly less than the $842 million allocated in 2009.
Gen. George Casey, the service’s chief of staff, said the Army will likely spend even more on Bradleys and M1 Abrams tanks, starting in about five years.
“We have invested very heavily in Bradley and Abrams recapitalization in the last several years,” Casey said at a May 19 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. “We’re in a position now where the Bradley fleet is good for another five or 10 years and the Abrams is good for 15 to 20 years.” The Army is asking for $2.4 billion to buy tactical and combat wheeled vehicles in 2010, less than half of the $5.6 billion allotted for this year. That’s because of the cancellation of the vehicle portion of the Future Combat Systems.
“Right now, the Army is considering all options” for replacing the 10-ton M113s, including Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, Strykers and Bradleys, said Lt. Col. Bill Sheehy, who manages the Bradley and M113 programs.
“I don’t expect any decisions to be made until after the QDR [Quadrennial Defense Review] is published,” Sheehy said.
Among the options are four tougher Bradley variants by BAE Systems, which showed off some of them in May at an armor conference at Fort Knox, Ky.
“From a standpoint of commonality across the HBCT [Heavy Brigade Combat Teams], it has a lot of leverage. It has a lot of the same automotive structure. It makes a lot of sense,” Sheehy said.
Sheehy said the Bradley has advantages over the Stryker as a potential M113 replacement.
“There is also more space in a Bradley hull than there is in an M113 and Stryker,” he said.
“A heavy brigade must have an ambulance, mortar and command-and-control vehicles. Our goal is to find a common balance of affordability and capability,” said Adam Zarfoss, who directs Bradley programs for BAE.
Sheehy said the Army is also looking at the possibility of putting a V-shaped hull on a Bradley chassis.
BRADLEY OPTIONS
Four Bradley variants have been proposed by BAE Systems:
Ambulatory Medical Evacuation Vehicle:
Designed to carry medical equipment, four patients on litters and eight ambulatory patients.
Mortar Vehicle:
Replaces Bradley turret with M1064 mortar.
Command Post: An armored command and-control version.
General Purpose Vehicle: Designed to do the M113’s jobs.
A prototype will be in production soon