Built to Last: The Army's Failed Quest to Replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle

Abstract

Abstract : On 25 January 2014, the Army Chief of Staff announced the cancelation of the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV). The GCVs cancelation marked the US Armys most recent failure to design and field a new ground combat vehicle since fielding the Big Five weapon systems in the early 1980s. Today, the Army believes that the BFV does not have the space, weight, or power needed on the modern battlefield. The persistent need for a replacement vehicle and the consistent record of failure to design a replacement strongly suggests there is a serious problem in the Army ground combat system development process. Since the Big Five systems will not last forever, it is important to identify why Army efforts to modernize have failed. By comparing the development dimensions of the FCS and GCV to the standard created by the Bradley, clear differences emerged. Ultimately, the evidence suggests that if the Army intends to replace the Bradley with a new infantry-fighting vehicle, then it must develop more modest program goals at the start of system design and limit the list of new technologies to avoid criticisms of either design or cost.