Industry and procurement are up to the challenge of a manufacturing surge, says US Army acquisition boss
The Abrams has served the US Army well but its replacement is on the way. (Photo: US Army)
US large vehicle defence programmes will have companies extremely busy towards the end of this decade with XM30, M1E3, M10 Booker and robotic combat vehicle likely to be rolling off production this decade and possibly simultaneously. The question is, can industry and the acquisition model handle the surge?
The US Army is looking to buy thousands of large vehicles in both the short and medium term with the Booker M10 already in production and the XM30 combat vehicle, M1E3 main battle tank and robotic combat vehicle all on the horizon.
With research and development and acquisition budgets for the army set to double, pending the congressional nod, a complete overhaul of the army’s massive fleet is expected throughout the next decade and beyond. Questions are being asked, however, about the robustness of an industry with just two main players and the risks associated with fast procurement.
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