My colleague Megan Scully from CongressDaily reported on Wednesday that Navy Undersecretary Robert Work has kicked off a study on the post-Afghanistan future of the Marine Corps, with an emphasis on a return to the traditional "from the sea" mission.
The study includes a serious look at all the heavy armor the Corps has acquired during the past nine years of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq such as MRAPs.
I suggest the examination should take a realistic look at developing the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), an advanced version of the Marine's venerable amtrac intended to operate as a boat and an armored vehicle.
The EFV, designed to speedily transport troops from Navy ships as far as 25 miles offshore, has been under development since 1988 and costs have increased to the point that each has a price tag just shy of $19 million, according to a Government Accountability Office report released in July.
I know the Marines really love -- and want -- the EFV. But I think the Corps can find a cheaper way to do the job than relying on a program that will spend $1.8 billion to buy 96 vehicles.
Bob Brewin
Bob Brewin joined Government Executive in April 2007, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience as a journalist focusing on defense issues and technology. Bob covers the world of defense and information technology for Nextgov, and is the author of the “What’s Brewin” blog.
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