In 1991, the center of gravity for the M88 recovery vehicle program in the U.S. shifted to the Improved Recovery Vehicle upgrade effort, which rebuilds M88A1 vehicles to the M88A2 HERCULES configuration.

The U.S. Army intends to commence production of the M88A3 configuration of the HERCULES in FY23.

The original IRV plan called for the conversion of 630 M88A1 vehicles to the M88A2 HERCULES standard by 2012. However, according to U.S. Department of Defense budget request documentation, the U.S. Army intends to continue funding the IRV program through FY25. The current Army Acquisition Objective stands at 933 HERCULES vehicles.

In marketing terms, nothing succeeds like the "combat- proven" label, and the M88A2 HERCULES has certainly earned that distinction since its combat debut during Operation Desert Storm (1991). Further, on April 9, 2003, the M88A2 HERCULES became an unexpected instant media star during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The image of the M88A2 HERCULES pulling down the statue of Saddam Hussein at Firdos Square in central Baghdad became an iconic symbol of the global war on terror.

Aside from the IRV rebuild program, international demand for the unique capabilities of the M88A2 HERCULES to support the current generation of main battle tanks (such as the M1 Abrams, Challenger 2, and Leopard 2) will continue to sustain low-rate production of this vehicle.

Source:  Forecast International
Associated URL: defense.gov
Author: D. Lockwood, Weapons Systems Analyst 

The Forecast International Weapons Group expects U.S. Department of Defense procurement of existing small arms designs to continue, albeit at a significantly reduced level averaging about 34,250 weapons per year. We believe the M4/M4A1 carbine will account for 80 percent of U.S. small arms procured during the forecast period.

The incessant budget crises in Washington continue to wreak havoc with U.S. DoD plans for small arms development and procurement. The status of next generation weapons programs remains, at best, in limbo.

Current U.S. DoD small arms procurement reflects a distinct short-term emphasis in response to an evolving threat environment abroad and the reality of dwindling funding at home. These simultaneous conditions effectively trump significant expenditures for the next generation of small arms.

In sharp contrast to the U.S. Army's erstwhile emphasis on fielding next-generation weapons systems under the Objective Individual Combat Weapon (OICW) and Objective Crew Served Weapon (OCSW) programs, the U.S. DoD is now forced to deal with a distinct waning of interest by the White House and Congress in the near term - with an inevitable negative impact on appropriations.

For now, the best the DoD can hope for is to maintain existing small arms already in the inventory and attempt modest improvements when it can secure funding.

Source:  Forecast International
Author: D. Lockwood, Weapons Systems Analyst 

Serial production of new M1 Abrams main battle tanks remains dormant. For the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, the center of gravity for the M1 Abrams program continues to be the maintenance, reset (repair of field/battle damage), and upgrade of existing tanks.

By definition, the maintenance, reset, and upgrade programs for the M1 Abrams have no direct impact on the international market for main battle tanks in terms of new production. However, based on its proven combat record, the M1 Abrams - like the proverbial 800 pound gorilla - still sits anywhere it wants, occupying what effectively remains a unique position on the international market for main battle tanks.

The Bradley Fighting Vehicle production line remains active for the modernization and retrofit of existing Bradley vehicles. The stated focus of the U.S. Army's current Bradley program is on upgrading existing Bradley M2A2 ODS - Situational Awareness (ODS-SA)/M7A3 vehicles to the Bradley M2A4/M7A4 configuration.

The U.S. Army maintains that the M2/M7A4 Bradley Fighting Vehicle will be a critical component of the ABCT (Armored Brigade Combat Team) formation until FY50.

According to U.S. Department of Defense budget documentation, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps intend to maintain a number of tactical bridging programs through at least 2024. In particular, serial production of the Joint Assault Bridge represents one of the most significant overhauls of the U.S. Army's tactical bridging capabilities in several decades.

The initial operational test completion of the JAB was planned for June 2019 to support a full-rate production decision in the first quarter of FY20.

The U.S. Army currently maintains a procurement objective of 337 JAB systems for the Army and Marine Corps. JAB procurement on this scale would mark the program as one of the most significant modernizations of the tactical bridging inventories of the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps since the end of the Cold War.

Source:  Forecast International
Associated URL: defense.gov
Author: D. Lockwood, Weapons Systems Analyst