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What is the story on a new U.S. vehicle introduction in the jeep/light truck type that is getting blasted as a failure and money pit?

Paul T. Weaver
mumfordlibrarian

That is a rather broad statement. Do you have a pointer to any sources for the allegations (I'm pretty sure every new program gets blasted by somebody as a waste of mney and a failure by somebody)

I believe he may be talking about the Growler (it certainly makes my stomach churn!) .................

The average cost of a single Growler has “risen 120 percent, from about $94,000 when the contract was awarded in 2004 to $209,000 in 2008.

The unit cost for the vehicle with mortar and ammunition trailer has grown 86 percent, from $579,000 to $1,078,000.” The overall cost of the contract with vehicle maker American Growler Inc. has shot up from $12.1 million in 2004 to $107.8 million by July 2008.

Quote taken from ARES..........

Regards,

BRIAN

Did a search, found this....



Seems its to be used with Osprey by the USMC.

Sorta a M151 and a 'gamma goat' combined ??

Don

Who the heck is "American Growler Inc." ?

Sounds like another company created just to sell something to the military. With all the automotive tech knowledge the big three have along with the foreign makers, why go with some unheard of outfit?

Reeks of the the "Stewart/Stevenson" debacle the FMTV caused. Never heard of them before. Problem was eventually worked out after many delays and dollars. What ever happened to off the shelf purchases. Thinking of how we took John Deere "Gators" and used them. May have not been perfect but they sure worked well in a pinch and the cost wasn't out of this world.

Don,
Make it 6WD and it's pretty much a "Gama Goat" from what I can tell. And whats with the CTIS system on a vehicle that small. What ever happened to using an air hose and tire gauge to adjust pressure ?

Joe D

Here's some contenders:

Nah mate you're mixing up JLTV (the vehicles in your post) with ITV, Internally Transportable Vehicle, the American Growler mini-jeep.

The fact it has to be transportable in the V-22 Osprey is part of the reason this mini-jeep has occured, the available space within the Osprey SEVERELY limits what kind of vehicle you can put in there and transport INTERNALLY.

There are proposals & some prototypes of fully enclosed/armoured vehicles based around Flyer, American Growler, etc including one Electric Drive hybrid (cannot remember by who? LM?).

Whichever way you slice it however, Osprey is too damn small internally and there is going to be a long wait until Quad TiltRotor (with a Hercules-type x-section) or similar comes into service, if they ever do, before a decent, armoured and internally-carried vehicle comes into service.

Regards,

BRIAN

Y'all may want to read this ittle article in this month's Defense Technology International (via ARES)..........

Park and Fly: Marines want a few good air-transportable ITVs
www.zinio.com/express3...48439&p=28

Regards,

BRIAN

Heck,

just reopen the production lines for the M422 Mighty Mite, that should fit in an Osprey.



Jens O.

The Growler is based on M151 MUTT...

Neil

- Neil_Baumgardner

The Growler is based on M151 MUTT...

Neil

With an even shorter wheelbase? Excellent.

Well, "based" may be loosely... They claim its a new design...

Neil

Is that why the fuel tank is under the driver's seat?