Fearing that its Stryker armored automobiles have been outgunned by Russian and Chinese language designs, the US Military had an thought for a fast repair: Develop an unmanned Stryker turret with a 30-mm autocannon. However chopping corners within the $1 billion undertaking has led to {hardware} and software program points that imply the extra deadly Strykers will not be out there till no less than the top of 2024, a yr later than scheduled.
“In prioritizing price financial savings and speedy fielding, the Military assumed further manufacturing dangers as a result of it didn’t comply with sound acquisition practices,” in response to a Authorities Accountability Workplace report.
Although Military leaders stated in December 2023 that software program points had been mounted, struggle clouds in Europe and Asia elevate the prospect that Stryker items may go into battle towards Russian and Chinese language armored automobiles which might be extra closely armed.
In comparison with ultra-complex tasks such because the F-35 stealth fighter, creating a small remote-controlled turret for an armored automobile ought to have been simple. The undertaking started in 2015. Fearful by rising tensions in Europe and extra deadly Russian {hardware}, the Military’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment — based mostly in Germany — urgently requested heavier armament for the Stryker, a household of eight-wheel armored automobiles manufactured by Normal Dynamics Land Programs.
As a substitute of the Stryker’s regular armament of a .50-caliber or 7.62-mm machine gun, or a 40-mm grenade launcher, troops needed a cannon that may punch by means of enemy armor and hardened positions. Russia arms its BMP collection of infantry preventing automobiles with 30-mm, 73-mm or 100-mm weapons, whereas China’s new heavy VN-20 troop provider comes with 30-mm or 100-mm cannon.
The Military obliged in 2018 with the Infantry Service Car-Dragoon, which added a remote-controlled 30-mm gun turret — manufactured by Norwegian agency Kongsberg — to 91 flat-bottom-hull variations of the Strykers. Normal Dynamics did the modifications below an present contract, which allowed the Military to develop and area the improve in a comparatively fast two years. The Military determined the subsequent yr to purchase 269 unmanned 30-mm turrets, below the Medium Caliber Weapons Programs (MCWS) program, at an estimated price of $1.1 billion. This is able to be sufficient to improve Strykers in three brigades of 83 automobiles every, plus an extra 20 for testing.
However as a substitute of merely fielding extra Dragoons, the Military determined to make some adjustments. As a substitute of flat-bottomed Strykers, the turrets can be mounted on the double hull A1 model that’s extra blast-resistant and will higher bear the burden and energy necessities of a gun turret. As a substitute of a Kongsberg MCT-30 turret, the automobiles would obtain a Samson turret made by Israeli agency Rafael. And as a substitute of Normal Dynamics, the prime contractor can be Oshkosh Programs, whose bid was one-third or extra decrease than different contenders. Nevertheless, the cannon would proceed to be Northrop Grumman’s XM813 chain gun used on the Dragoon.
The Military additionally fast-tracked the undertaking, which should not have been a problem. “Military officers acknowledged that they selected to speed up manufacturing of the Stryker MCWS, fairly than start system improvement, as a result of the hassle built-in mature, confirmed applied sciences—the Stryker Double-V Hull A1 and the 30-millimeter cannon,” GAO famous.
The issue was that the Military was in such a rush that it uncared for some fundamental precautions. For instance, Oshkosh’s turret “was not examined by troopers of their supposed atmosphere throughout the analysis of the samples,” the report stated. “As a substitute, the distributors acted because the commanders and gunners throughout testing on a variety.”
Kevin Payne/US Military
Nor was Oshkosh’s demonstration turret constructed on the precise manufacturing line that will be used for full manufacturing. An enormous pink flag ought to have been the glitches within the turret software program that degraded the 30-mm cannon’s accuracy. As a result of the gunner operates the cannon remotely from contained in the automobile, utilizing a video feed fairly than the bare eye, correct focusing on software program is essential. “The Military acknowledged these dangers have been reasonable due to Oshkosh Protection’s assurance of a future software program repair,” GAO stated. “Military officers acknowledged that they’d not have the power to guage the success of the software program repair previous to awarding the manufacturing contract.”
A perceived have to get improved automobiles to troops within the area is comprehensible. However what was uncommon was that the Military “put in supply orders for all 269 automobiles earlier than making certain that manufacturing line points have been addressed,” Mona Sehgal, appearing director of GAO’s contracting and nationwide safety acquisitions workforce, advised Enterprise Insider.
The Military awarded Oshkosh the primary order in June 2021 for 91 MCWS, adopted by a second order for 83 in July 2021 and eventually 95 in June 2022, in response to GAO. The primary turrets weren’t truly delivered till July 2022.
Regular apply — within the Division of Protection or the enterprise world — can be to position an preliminary order to guage the standard of the product, earlier than inserting additional orders. “The Military had structured the settlement to permit that however selected to not execute it that approach,” Sehgal stated.
Michael Peck is a protection author whose work has appeared in Forbes, Protection Information, Overseas Coverage journal, and different publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Comply with him on Twitter and LinkedIn.
