The Marine Corps prides itself on being able to project power from sea to shore. But its land vehicles are just too heavy for its key airborne ship-to-shore connector, the MV-22 Osprey to carry. In a report released yesterday by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, authors Bryan Clark and Jesse Sloman say increased protection requirements are making new vehicles even heavier than the old ones they’re replacing.
As one solution, they say, the Marine Corps needs to invest in small, light vehicles that fit inside the Osprey. Currently, there are two systems that fit the bill: the internally transportable vehicle, or ITV, which is similar in appearance to a civilian all-terrain vehicle; and the Expeditionary Fire Support System, a trailer-carried 120mm mortar that can be towed behind the ITV.