{"id":65092,"date":"2023-07-17T20:40:44","date_gmt":"2023-07-17T20:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2023\/07\/17\/recon-vehicle-competitors-maintain-tempo-despite-program-uncertainty\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:46:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:46:04","slug":"recon-vehicle-competitors-maintain-tempo-despite-program-uncertainty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2023\/07\/17\/recon-vehicle-competitors-maintain-tempo-despite-program-uncertainty\/","title":{"rendered":"Recon vehicle competitors maintain tempo, despite program uncertainty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. Marine Corps wants manufacturers to \u201cgo full speed\u201d in developing a new reconnaissance vehicle, despite having no concrete quantity in mind and potentially needing fewer than anticipated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But industry appears undeterred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service announced in its spring update to the Force Design 2030 modernization plan that it discovered a \u201crequirement for littoral, multi-domain reconnaissance capabilities that our light armored reconnaissance (LAR) battalions do not currently provide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Future mobile reconnaissance battalions are expected to conduct littoral, multidomain missions with the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle, a program in development to replace the legacy Light Armored Vehicle. General Dynamics Land Systems and Textron designed prototypes from scratch, and BAE Systems modified its Amphibious Combat Vehicle to meet mission needs. All three prototypes are in testing at Camp Pendleton, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the battalions may also need light and ultralight tactical vehicles, small boats, and more to conduct multidomain operations, several force development leaders said<\/a> while rolling out the Force Design update.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, the deputy commandant for combat development and integration, said a mobile reconnaissance battalion might look different based on the geography to which it deploys. While something like an Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle, or ARV, could fit operational needs in the Middle East, Africa or Europe, he told Defense News, it may not do well in the Pacific region. This calls into question how many ARVs the Marines will ultimately buy, if only a subset of the Corps\u2019 mobile recon teams will use the in-development vehicle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gen. David Berger, who spoke at the Modern Day Marine conference shortly before stepping down as commandant and retiring, told Defense News \u201cwe don\u2019t know yet\u201d what the change to the Mobile Reconnaissance Battalion concept will mean for the ARV program, nor how many the Marines might buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we do know is that the traditional ground reconnaissance, which I grew up in, and airborne reconnaissance and reconnaissance over the water or under the water can\u2019t be three separate units,\u201d he said. \u201cSo right now all three [Marine expeditionary forces] are working on multidomain reconnaissance\u201d to determine what combination of land vehicles, boats and aircraft they\u2019ll need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototype built by General Dynamics Land Systems undergoes Marine Corps testing in early 2023. (General Dynamics Land Systems via U.S. Defense Department)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Berger said he didn\u2019t know what the right balance would be, but that the Corps would spend the next couple years working that out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut it\u2019s not just one of them; it\u2019s clear to us that capability has to be all three: aviation, ground, and some kind of [operationally manned] vessel,\u201d he said. \u201cToo early to tell what it means for the total number of ARVs that we might buy \u2014 way too early to tell. Right now, go full speed, but allow the [Marine expeditionary forces] to try to sort through how much of each are they going to need in the future organically.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a separate panel at the conference, Steve Bowdren, the Corp\u2019s program executive officer for land systems, acknowledged that \u201cwe\u2019re some time away from the requirements refinement\u201d for ARV, given the newly released ideas about the mobile reconnaissance battalion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARV competitors<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Despite uncertainty, industry heard Berger\u2019s \u201cgo full speed\u201d comment and intends to do just that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems and Textron Systems handed over their respective prototypes in December<\/a>, the Marine Corps has put the platforms through land mobility testing at the Nevada Automotive Test Center; survivability testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland; open ocean and surf zone swim tests at the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch at Camp Pendleton, California; and now electronics testing at the Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity at Camp Pendleton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During these months of testing, some of the tiered requirements for the ARV prototype took on greater or lesser importance, David Phillips, the senior vice president for sea and land at Textron Systems, told Defense News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weight and size are not negotiable, with the Corps requiring four ARVs fit on a Ship to Shore Connector, he said. However, that led to a discussion about survivability and other requirements that ultimately affect the vehicle\u2019s weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll come out of this knowing there\u2019s things we\u2019re going to have to go do as we look towards [the engineering and manufacturing development phase]\u201d based on lessons that come out of the testing and changes to requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototype built by Textron Systems undergoes Marine Corps testing in early 2023.(Textron via U.S. Defense Department)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Asked how the company views the uncertainty about the ARV program in light of the new Mobile Reconnaissance Battalion concept, Phillips said the Marine Corps continues to show \u201ccommitment to the program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re confident we can deliver a vehicle that\u2019s going to meet their top-tier requirements. We\u2019re confident that things that exist right now cannot,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s how we\u2019re emboldened and confident that ultimately this thing goes to that next phase.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phillips added that it\u2019s common not to know exactly how many vehicles the military might buy upfront. Despite that uncertainty, \u201cwe said years ago this is a very, very critical thing for us to go chase and to go win, so we\u2019re committed to that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phil Skuta, the director of strategy and business development for U.S. Marine Corps and Navy programs at General Dynamics Land Systems, said budget documents show a competition for the engineering and manufacturing development phase slated for fiscal 2025 \u2014 or two years from now. But what he wants sooner is a clear decision to move forward with the program despite Force Design\u2019s changes to the reconnaissance community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted congressional testimony and other statements this spring from Heckl and Assistant Commandant Gen. Eric Smith that showed support for ARV.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe read that, we listen to that very closely, and it gives us optimism that we can anticipate continuing forward, at least in this competition, and working with the Marine Corps to meet the requirements on this capability,\u201d Skuta said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototype built by BAE Systems undergoes Marine Corps testing in early 2023. (BAE Systems via U.S. Defense Department)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Marine Corps envisions ARV as a family of vehicles, with a common chassis but different mission systems on as many as six variants:<\/p>\n\n\n\n