The evolving budget situations: army programs on the (slow) move

1: Of aircraft carriers and OPVs
2: Land Forces

3: Helicopters

4: Force Structure 

5: Reversing bad decisions 

Defense News reports that the Army is about to move, handing out new requests for information for four important programs. None of these four is a new requirement: each has already an history behind, some already stretching over years. The four programs are:

Light Recovery Vehicle: a replacement for the old Bedford-based LRV. The requirement has circulated for quite a while already, but an earlier attempt to select a new platform was eventually stopped, with some 16 Navistar Husky vehicles converted into interim LRV platforms under UOR. British Forces News has a video of the Husky recovery in Afghanistan: these vehicles cover the needs of the deployed force, supporting vehicles such as Foxhound.

The MOD however aims to bring a definitive air-portable LRV vehicles into service by 2016. A number will be assigned to the amphibious brigade as well, thus introducing the necessary wading and winterization requirements. The MOD has already taken vision of some products that could meet the requirement, such as the Penman-EKA LRV, based on a DURO III 6x6 chassis. Another option is offered by MAN Truck and Bus UK Ltd which have created a LRV variant based on the MAN HX60 4x4 truck already in widespread use in the british army. This could be an excellent solution, offering logistical commonality. 

Multi Role Vehicle – Protected (MRV-P): this is the biggest program by both numbers of vehicles and variants envisaged and, of course, by cost. Unsurprisingly, it is also the one program that has been around for the most time, having spent years already languishing through studies, concept phases, trials, rethinks and rebranding.  MRV-P is in fact the child of the failed Operational Utility Vehicle System (OUVS) program, which came to light as far back as 2003.

MRV-P should replace Land Rovers, Pinzgauers and other old and unprotected vehicles currently widely used in a variety of roles within army units. The MRV-P should also introduce a gun towing variant, a new vehicle which shall replace the (already withdrawn) never loved RB-44. For the gun-towing role and for mortar platoons, 650 old Leyland 4-tonne trucks were kept into service with a decision taken in 2011, being preferred over the RB44 TUH.

There are not many new things to say about this long-running program. An article I wrote in June 2012 contains pretty much all the info available, and some analysis, so I suggest you read it. The most evident possible novelty is that there might now be another serious contender in the race, since General Dynamics Land Systems - Force Protection Europe has privately funded the development of a family of Ocelot (Foxhound in british army service) variants based on a cheaper crew citadel made of steel instead of high-end, expensive composites as in the current patrol variant. Known as Ocelot-S, the new family of vehicles offers a wide range of variants, covering multiple roles.

The steel citadel imposes a 1800 kg weight penalty affecting the payload of the vehicle, but is said to enable a significant reduction in cost. The use of steel also reduces the protection level afforded by some degree (GD promises that the protection afforded is “similar”), but the requirement for MRV-P is much more permissive than for the Light Patrol Protected Vehicle, so this would not be a problem.

As I said back in 2012, Foxhound is a very expensive vehicle, and is far from meeting the cost objective set by the MOD. The new variant might go some way in mitigating this issue.

Obviously, with 400 Foxhound in the patrol variant already on order and destined to equip six infantry battalions under Army 2020 plans, basing MRV-P on the same mechanics would simplify training and logistics.

GD is exploiting the experience collected with Foxhound to try and offer an Ocelot-S product virtually ready for british army adoption. The Ocelot-S command variant in fact comes with a General Dynamics UK's (GDUK) integrated communications and battle management system and with Thales' generic vehicle architecture (GVA) kit. Both are already in use on Foxhoud and, to varying degrees, on UOR fleets such as Mastiff, which are now being taken into core.

Other variants on offer include a logistic flatbed cargo vehicle capable to transport two NATO-standard pallets with a two-tonne payload to the rear of a protected two-door cab. Ambulance, general purpose, dog kennel, fuel bowsers, gun towing and shelter carrying variants are all being offered as possible developments by GD, which also says that there is the potential to stretch the chassis to create a long wheel base variant and, in the longer term, extend the Foxhound developing a 6x6 vehicle variant. 

Ocelot S ambulance variant

A proposed Ocelot S APC variant, with stretched chassis (Long Wheel Base variant)

Ocelot S logistic support variant

The Ocelot-S might give new chances to Foxhound, to expand on many additional roles within the british army.

That is, of course, if the cost really goes down a lot, and if the program manages to get funding and progress to actual delivery. 

For the MRV-P program, Supacat offers its SPV 400 vehicle, and its proposed 6x6 variant, the SPV 600

 

The requirement for a new battlefield ambulance which Defense News quotes should be known (if it hasn’t undergone a new change of acronym already!) as Future Multi Role Battlefield Ambulance. This vehicle, which would replace the venerable Land Rover-based one, could actually end up being just another part of the MRV-P if a suitable variant on the same mechanics can be delivered.  

Defense News’s article is confused in this passage:

Starting with a lightweight recovery vehicle that the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support organization said it wants in service by 2016, the British military is looking at adding a multi-role vehicle-protected (MRV-P), a protected battlefield ambulance and a vehicle able to carry a protectable palletized load system by 2020.

Only the MRV-P program is big enough to qualify for what is called a Category A program, with a value of £400 million (US $660 million) and above.

The fourth machine, a lightweight air-portable recovery vehicle, which will need to be able to wade ashore in support of Britain’s commando forces, is in the assessment phase and replaces the elderly Bedford-based machine.

The highlighted paragraph clearly is talking of the Bedford Light Recovery Vehicle, but erroneously suggests i("the fourth machine") that it is talking of the "vehicle able to carry a protectable palletized load system by 2020."
I'm not sure of what exactly this could be. A small vehicle to move pallets, especially around helicopter landing zones, replacing the horrendous Springer and the old Supacat "Super Cat" ATMP, or actually the long-delayed replacement for DROPS? I'm inclined to believe it is the replacement for DROPS, but we'll need confirmations going ahead.

A replacement for the DROPS truck fleet is another long running program. The last time it surfaced, it was known as Non Articulated Vehicle Programme. Previously, it had been known as Heavy Load Distribution Capability (HLDC).

The old DROPS trucks are unprotected and no longer adequate to operational scenarios. In Afghanistan, the container carrying capability has been covered by the Enhanced Palletized Load System. The EPLS was obtained converting a first batch of 90 HX77 MAN Support trucks before ordering an additional 87 newly produced, with 31 being used for the establishment of a training fleet. At least 10 EPLS trucks have been used as platforms for the carriage and employment of the Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System  (REBS) in british army service, while three more such trucks were handed over to New Zealand in late 2012, which urgently needed them for its own REBS purchase. It is unclear if the three trucks have then be replaced by new ones in the british army. Even if they have, there are at most 167 EPLS vehicles for the transport of palletized supplies, plus 10 fitted with the REBS bridgelayer system. 167 vehicles, or less, to replace a fleet which up to recent times had counted 1400 Leyland Medium Mobility Load Carriers and 375 Foden Improved Medium Mobility Load Carriers. A large reduction in the requirement is evident, but certainly it has not reduced enough to make 167 vehicles enough to cover it all. 

 

EPLS in action

EPLS will be taken into core as interim replacement for DROPS (which has seen its OSD advanced from 2021 to December 2014 in the SDSR 2010), but it is obvious that the army badly needs to either purchase more, or select a definitive replacement and procure it. Quickly. 

As for "enhancing performace" of the UOR fleets, the Defense News article probably refer to the work already announced to convert some of the vehicles into command and communications variants, as well as for restoring the vehicles to full efficiency as they come back from Afghanistan.
It might also refer to the fact that the vehicles will be stripped of the RPG cage armor and thus made narrower and lighter to be able to move on UK roads and to reduce wear and tear. It can be expected that the reduction in weight and bulk will result in improved manoeuverability. But of course, the additional armor would be fitted again right away for deployment, so this would be a rather virtual "enhancement".

The MOD has recently disclosed the total numbers of UOR vehicles, of various types, that will be taken into core:

71 Coyote

325 Husky

441 Jackal

439 Mastiff

169 Ridgeback

60 Warthog

It is not clear if the Wolfhound vehicles are being counted in the “Mastiff” total, or if they have been left out by the list. Up to 130 of them should be available.

Keeping track of the exact number of UOR vehicles purchased over time has been very complex, but Defense Industry Daily has tried. According to their data, the total numbers of vehicles of the various types purchased for operations are:

97 Coyote

351 Husky

462 + Jackal

506 Mastiff (Wolfhound included?)

168 (some order slipped under the radar?) Ridgeback

115 Warthog 

14 Buffalo vehicles have been purchased for the TALISMAN route clearance system of systems. I'm still waiting for an official confirmation of some kind about their future. They are being brought back from Afghanistan, but there's no certainty yet on whether or not they will go into core, or into storage. 

The Jackal totals are broken down as being:

202 Jackal 1

120 + Jackal 2

140 Jackal 2A

A variety of support equipment related to these fleets and also purchased under UOR, has been brought into core, including CHOKER and 69 Pearson Engineering Super Light Weight Rollers.

It is not mentioned in that article on Defense News, but the british army Small Arms Corps journal mentions the fact that a program has been started for a replacement Mortar Platoon carrier vehicle for Light Role infantry battalions. Unfortunately, there are no details available.

A replacement for the FV432 Mortar Carrier in use in armored infantry battalions will also be needed but is never mentioned openly: my guess is that it could perhaps figure as part of the Armored Battlegroup Support Vehicle (ABSV) conversion of surplus Warrior IFVs that is in the concept phase. 

As the US Army wrestles with the problem of replacing its M113 variants, the turretless Bradley offers a capable and relatively straightforward solution. The UK, faced with the need to replace the FV430-series vehicles, could follow the example replacing (at least a part of) them with the "turretless Warrior" under the ABSV name.

Lastly, it is worth reminding that at DVD 2013 the MOD started looking around for a light, air droppable vehicle which can fit ready to go inside a Chinook and that would be used for C-SAR missions (and special forces work, i'd suppose?), as part of an ambition to rebuild a Joint Personnel Recovery Capability from 2016.

There are a lot of requirements begging for attention, and also several programs starting, re-starting, or just trying to move ahead, out of the infinite successions of concept and assessment phases, studies of all kinds, and costly delays that keep coming.

We will see how much manages to actually go ahead and deliver.