Iraq war drove weight of FCS vehicles - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Quick Links

Print Email
Bookmark and Share
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/04/defense_FCS_weight_040907/

Iraq war drove weight of FCS vehicles


By Kris Osborn - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 9, 2007 17:36:23 EDT

The Iraq war helped persuade Army planners to increase the weight of the Future Combat Systems Man-Ground Vehicle (MGV) from 18 tons to the current planned weight of 27 tons, FCS planners said.

The first bump came in 2004, when the planned weight was upped to 24 tons. In 2006, the weight was raised again as designers sought to build a vehicle that could withstand rocket-propelled grenades, heavy and light machine-gun fire, anti-tank guided missiles and tank rounds.

The vehicles are slated to have active protection systems and lightweight composite and add-on armor, but the vehicles kept getting heavier.

“Survivability is the coin of the realm,” said Col. Charles Bush, who directs the Army’s efforts to plan FCS.

He and other planners had originally conceived 18-ton vehicles that could be flown aboard a C-130 airlifter, but “the physics were not there to meet our objectives,” Bush said. “If you are shooting a 100-pound projectile 20 miles, the force of that shot would present stability challenges for a 14-ton chassis.”

An 18-ton vehicle might only have met 75 percent of Army requirements, Bush said.

The 27-ton vehicles will be deployed aboard C-17 Globemaster IIIs, three to a plane. If need be, the cannon or mortar can be disassembled from a vehicle and the components flown to a location aboard two C-130s, Bush said.

A C-130 can land more places than a C-17, which needs a hardened landing strip, he noted, but a C-130 could only fly the vehicles about 500 nautical miles — and the vehicles would come off the C-17s ready to go.

Bush said there are enough C-17s in the current fleet to meet the Army’s rapid mobility requirements.

Videos You May Be Interested In

Leave a Comment





Contests and Promotions


promo Enter our 2012 Red Carpet Contest!
Predict who will get the statues on Hollywood's big night and win a $200 Fandango Gift Card!

Click Here To Enter.
promo Win Tactical Night Vision Goggles!
Enter to Win the Military Times Sweepstakes!

Click Here To Enter.

Free Stickers


promo Click here and we'll send you a FREE AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, VIETNAM, or DESERT STORM sticker.

Marketplace

Mil-Mall


VALOR and VISION: Heroes * Leaders * Innovation
This commemorative Military Times magazine, tells, in pictures and short essays, the story of our past decade at war.

Military Discounts


Save on your purchases!
In honor of your military service, you can find regular and name brand products at a special discount.

Shoplocal

  Shop Local
Local Online Deals
Find the best deals at your local stores.