Ground Combat Vehicle

Ground Combat Vehicle
Ground Combat Vehicle logo
TypeTracked and/or wheeled armored fighting vehicles
Place of origin United States
Production history
DesignerU.S. Army

The Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) is the U.S. Army's replacement program for heavy tracked and wheeled armored fighting vehicles. The GCV is part of the Follow On Incremental Capabilities Package of the BCT Modernization program. The vehicle of the vehicle family is to be built by 2015 and given out by 2017. It replaced the canceled Future Combat Systems, manned ground vehicles program.[1]

Design

The GCV family will be built around one or more common vehicle bodies.

The GCV will be networked.

The GCV would have a very advanced communications system.[2]

The vehicle will be heavy and large but it must be moved by aircraft, rail and ship. The GCV will have good off-road mobility while remaining fuel efficient.[2]

The type and caliber of the weapons are still secret. The Army has only said that there will be lethal and non-lethal means to help with missions in both civilian and non-civilian places.[2]

The Army would like the GCV to have good bomb protection and would like it to be able to destroy enemy missiles.

Variants

The U.S. Army wants a troop carrier and a "secondary vehicle". The Army will ask for more variants later.

Infantry Fighting Vehicle

Artist's impression of the GCV Infantry Fighting Vehicle

The IFV will replace the M113 APC by 2018, the M2 Bradley and the Stryker ICV later.[3] The IFV will hold a crew of three and a squad of nine people.[4]

Secondary vehicle

The "secondary vehicle" is listed on the "Work Breakdown Structure" document. So far, no details have been released about the use of this vehicle.[5]

References

  1. ↑ "Army Partially Terminates FCS Manned Ground Vehicle". asdnews.com. July 21, 2009. Archived from the original on May 1, 2011. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "U.S. Army Outlines Ground Combat Vehicles Priorities". Defense update. Archived from the original on January 16, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2010.
  3. ↑ Cox, Matthew (September 10, 2009). "U.S. Army Details Ground Combat Vehicle Plans". Defense News. Army Times Publishing Company. Retrieved December 13, 2009.[permanent dead link][permanent dead link]
  4. ↑ Chavanne, Bettina (December 4, 2009). "New Combat Vehicle for U.S. Army". Aviation Week & Space Technology. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Archived from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved January 25, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Ground Combat Vehicle - Work Breakdown Structure". U.S. Army. December 4, 2009.[permanent dead link]

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