A $27 Billion Amphibious Vehicle Program Must Pass Critical Test to SurviveDecember 19, 2008
 A $27 billion program to develop a high-speed amphibious vehicle — one that can move from sea to shore and back to sea — might sink like a stone if it fails a critical test in late December. The Pentagon has pumped $1 billion and about 12 years into its Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program, working with Falls Church, Va.-based General Dynamics Corp. The vehicle failed its previous test in 2006 when it developed leaks and constantly broke down, according to a report in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Any problems discovered in the latest test will impact whether this program continues, according to a Marine spokesman. But even if it underperforms, the Bush administration is unlikely to terminate the program. Instead, it will leave that decision for President-elect Barack Obama's administration. Industry observers believe that given the program’s cost overruns and the vehicle's patchy history, it is increasingly vulnerable as the next administration seeks to reduce defense spending. This program, which sought to replace a Vietnam-era fleet, already has many critics who believe this type of vehicle is increasingly irrelevant because most of the threats facing the United States are in countries with rocky terrain or deserts. These critics also point out that the Marines have not performed any large and amphibious maneuvers since the Korean War. But the Marines contend that this type of vehicle is an absolute necessity because of the number of foreign forces that have propelled grenades and anti-ship missiles, making it even more important to deploy marines farther offshore, according to the Post-Intelligencer. General Dynamics referred all questions to the Marine Corps, the newspaper said. (Photo: Cpl. Kamran Sadaghiani, U.S. Marines) |
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