Still the vehicle is quickly approaching
40 years old and is in some ways a
throwback to cold war era planning.
The LAV is relatively lightly armored
and while it can offer protection from Russian 14.5 millimeter armor-piercing
rounds as well as a variety of small
arms fire, it is decidedly vulnerable to
larger caliber munitions.
Since the LAV's cold war introduction it
has been up-armored, though at a steep
cost, its amphibious capabilities. To the marine corps traditionally
amphibious by nature, this is a deal
breaker. a replacement is in the works however
the advanced reconnaissance vehicle.
The marine corps arv program seeks to
find a LAV replacement and one offering
from textron might just be the vehicle
for the job. The u.s marine corps has listed quite a
few stringent program requirements for a
successful advanced reconnaissance
vehicle prototype.
The advanced reconnaissance vehicle
should pack more firepower than the LAV and the corps has suggested a
30-millimeter weapon system might do the
job. It should also be highly armored, able to
neutralize close and heavy armor threats.
In addition to a modern command and
control setup as well as a variety of
sensors to aid in surveillance and
reconnaissance. More specifically, it should have a shore
to shore capability, that is the ability
to leave a naval ship and cross a
literal water zone under its own power, that does not require a connecting naval
vehicle.
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| Image: Textron's Cottonmouth Vehicle |
This is where Textron's Cottonmouth Vehicle comes in. Although some of the
specific features of the cottonmouth
vehicle are not publicly known, several
inferences can be made by what is
available.
Company promotional material shows a
six-wheeled, presumably all-wheel-drive
vehicle armed with what appears to be a
remotely operated javelin anti-tank
missile as well as a 50-caliber heavy
machine gun. Both of which are mated to
the vehicle's roof.
Though the Javelin is indeed a powerful
anti-tank missile it is possible that
future Cottonmouth vehicles will sport
something more powerful than a
single-shot anti-tank missile as well as
the united states oldest machine gun in
service.
A variety of sensors and antennas cover
the roof of the vehicles, likely as part
of the usmc surveillance and
reconnaissance requirement
and like all things marine, the Cottonmouth sports dual waterjets at the
rear is happily amphibious.
This summer it's likely that the Cottonmouth will undergo amphibious
testing
and if the vehicle's water trials go
well, it could become the marine corps
advanced reconnaissance vehicle. Though the marines la versus served with
distinction they're getting old. they originally entered service in 1983
and though they've been steadily
upgraded since then they're beginning to
show their age.
They may not be suited to future fights
either, Commandant of the Marine Corps General David Berger said that the
blight-armored reconnaissance today is
built great for another desert shield, desert storm but explained that i don't
see that likelihood as being very great.
As the united states adjusts from a
focus on ground operations in the middle
east to confronting peer peer rivals
like china and russia, their operation
doctrine is shifting. The corps will be offloading their tanks
in the future, along with much of its
artillery and airplanes in favor of
rocket artillery and a LAV replacement to
give marines greater range while at sea.
The marine corps needs vehicles that
will be able to survive in the pacific
and counter threats from china and the
arv is intended to provide the
capability.
According to the navy the arv will
provide transformational sensor, communications and combat capabilities
to collect and communicate information. While integrating robotics and
artificial intelligence in manned
unmanned teams, with an emphasis on
bringing the fight to the enemy from
afar.
Using ARV, a crew will be able to use
advanced onboard sensors and unmanned
systems to detect, recognize and identify
threats at extended ranges.
Since General Dynamics built the
original LAV, it is assumed that their
vehicle will be an evolution of the LAV, likely with an upgraded main gun and
improved swimming capabilities.
Ready or not, the marine corps is keeping
abreast of changing world threats by
adapting as well. Though losing tanks and artillery is no
doubt melancholy news for some
leathernecks, they'll be better prepared
for new threats. Particularly in the
south china sea and the pacific region
as a whole.
