The Fiscal Commission draft report is unlikely to be fully enacted by Congress, but its findings could still influence the fate of several defense programs by giving ammunition to those who are gunning for new efficiencies no matter what. The report’s recommendation to cancel the Marines’ EFV, for example, is “another nail in the coffin” for the long-gestating vehicle, says Dakota Wood of CSBA. “It certainly does seem there is a mounting set of issues, factors that do not bode well for the EFV,” Wood told Morning Defense. “My guess is the vehicle is going to be canceled.” Plus, senators have already primed the EFV for oblivion: In an unusual, but not completely unprecedented move, the Senate version of this year’s appropriations bill sets aside more than $183 million “for estimated termination costs should the program be canceled.”
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