Wednesday, April 23, 2025
Key Issues Overhauling the FAR Troops in South Korea Overland AI
Tony Bertuca is chief editor of Inside the Pentagon, the flagship publication of InsideDefense, where he focuses on defense budget and acquisition policy. He previously worked for the Sun-Times News Group in his hometown of Chicago, IL, and at the New Hampshire Union Leader in Manchester, NH. Tony has also served as managing editor of Inside the Army. He has a master's degree in journalism from Boston University.
The House Appropriations defense subcommittee, in its July mark-up of the fiscal year 2011 defense spending bill, recommended cutting research and development funding for the Army's Ground Combat Vehicle by $100 million and warned the service about pursuing "exotic solutions," according to congressional documents obtained by InsideDefense.com.
The Army's new Ground Combat Vehicle acquisition strategy will reflect the service's desire to incrementally modernize a fundamentally sound vehicle after it is fielded in seven years, something that was lacking in the now-canceled request for proposals process, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli said today.
The Army announced today that the industry day for the Ground Combat Vehicle will be held on Oct. 1 in Dearborn, MI.
The product manager for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicles said today that Pentagon officials have been discussing the possible procurement of more M-ATVs, as well as different variants.
EL PASO, TX, -- Officials from the Army, the Pentagon and the Government Accountability Office converged at White Sands Missile Range, NM, today to conduct the limited user test of the Early Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a suite of "spin-out" technologies left over from the canceled Future Combat System.
Despite trimming $8 billion from the Obama administration's fiscal year 2011 defense spending request, the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee plans on fully funding many of the Army's ground and aerial vehicle platforms and providing additional funding to some programs, according to statement issued today by the subcommittee.
A recent report on the advisability of converting the Army's tactical truck fleet to hybrid electric vehicles found that while the technology is feasible, it remains too expensive and too risky to warrant any action other than further study.
BAE Systems has won a $629 million contract to upgrade 1,700 Caiman Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, increasing their survivability and mobility, according to a company statement.
Some defense analysts are welcoming the Army's recent decision to scrap its solicitation for the Ground Combat Vehicle and see it as a sign of level-headed planning, despite the disruption it caused many major industry players.
Based on the findings of a special "red team" report, the Army is canceling its Ground Combat Vehicle request for proposals process and intends to issue revised requirements that will allow industry teams to bid again some time in the future.
Congress has approved a Pentagon reprogramming request to transfer funds directly into the Stryker program's double-V hull protection effort, according to documents sent to the Defense Department comptroller's office last week.
The Army recently acquired Oshkosh Corp's first model of next-generation cargo vehicles known as the Palletized Load System A1, which features design improvements to make the vehicle more secure and robust "for logistics missions that face increased combat exposure," according to a statement released by the company.
Oshkosh Corp. was recently awarded a $40.7 million Army contract to produce explosively formed penetrator protection kits for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicles, according to a Defense Department announcement.
The Army has sent Congress a new acquisition strategy for its massive fleet of tactical wheeled vehicles, advocating a "buy less, more often" approach and detailing its plans to "achieve the right mix of variants while modernizing to a 'scalable armor' fleet."
The House Armed Services Committee has denied a Pentagon reprogramming request to divert hundreds of millions of dollars from the procurement and modernization of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Abrams tank to "other priorities," Inside the Army has learned.
A defense industry team led by BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman announced today that, after what executives called a "painful" deliberation and risk assessment, they have presented the Army with their proposal for a hybrid electric Ground Combat Vehicle.
Four key Pentagon officials warned Congress today that failing to pass a $33 billion supplemental defense budget before the scheduled August recess would result in civilian furloughs and create a financial emergency for the military.
Seeking to emulate the business models of Apple and Google in the commercial smart phone sector, the Army is accelerating its efforts to create a common operating environment for network systems that would allow industry to create standardized applications and plug them into a single network, the service's chief information officer said today.
General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded $30 million by the Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command to begin production of a double-v-shaped hull for the Stryker infantry combat vehicle, according to a statement released by GDLS today.
The Army began a large-scale integration exercise today at White Sands Missile Range, NM, billing it as the first-ever attempt to link various ground and aerial communications components into a single, integrated network for command posts, on-the-move forces, and dismounted soldiers.