Corps to take delivery of first EFV prototype

Corps to take delivery of first EFV prototype
Staff report
Posted : Saturday Jun 26, 2010 9:00:54 EDT

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — With a busy testing schedule ahead, the Marines at Camp Pendleton, Calif., will accept delivery of their first Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle on Monday.

The prototype amphibious vehicle, manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems, along with several other prototypes, will enter developmental testing later this year, Camp Pendleton officials said in a news release. More than 500 hours of testing are planned to begin this summer.

The Corps is to test seven different prototypes, which are being built at the contractor’s Lima, Ohio, manufacturing plant.

Testing will occur at Pendleton as the Corps maintains its amphibious vehicle test branch there at the base’s Camp Del Mar. The waterfront facility, which sits along a boat basin, is located near Assault Amphibian School Battalion, the Corps’ schoolhouse for Amphibious Assault Vehicle crews and maintainers.

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But the program, which suffered technical problems during its earlier phases that required a costly restart and redesign, remains contentious. Recent criticisms came from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who questioned the likelihood of amphibious assaults against enemy fire and the need for large numbers of expeditionary vehicles.

This is an example of a weapon that should be canceled. It should never have made it out of the proposal stage.

This is just one more case of the military wanting a multi-roll system that does everything poorly and nothing well. It floats, and goes 40 knots over open water. It can traverse soft sand beaches. It can roll along the country side at 50 miles and hour. The only thing is it has no room on the inside to carry Marines. It makes so much noise, the crew and passengers have to wear hearing protection while in operation. And if the thing takes a hit, it explodes and burns like stack of hay.

The EFV should be canceled yesterday before any more money or resources go down that rat hole.