FJAG
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Some day you are going to have to explain to me why the US Army didn't field some 5,000 or so Ripsaw variants years ago. Its a solid and highly versatile platform as far as I can see.
Infantry Vehicles
- Thread starter KevinB
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Quite honestly, I don’t know.Some day you are going to have to explain to me why the US Army didn't field some 5,000 or so Ripsaw variants years ago. Its a solid and highly versatile platform as far as I can see.
I’ve heard a number of reasons/theories from some decently senior green suiters.
Best I can tell it was ahead of its time, but not advanced enough to capture a lot of flash from brass if that make’s sense?
Plus the question of whose rice bowl was it going to eat.
Textron had that when most folks UGV’s were still like EOD robots.
It was a ‘we can do this now’ sort of thing.
Where the futures guys had dreams of fully autonomous AFV fleets
It was also proof the Armored’s M10 Booker was out to lunch in terms of a DFS system for Light forces. Lots of people wanted the M10 to keep the Armored relevant in PSO’s so the Light Tank - err Mobile Protected Firepower whatever got the nod.
Has half full the M10 kept GDLS looking at lighter Abrams options as well.
Given the iterative nature of how some of the MCBT’s are restructuring some after every 2 month evaluation period- I expect that it will gain a foothold - eventually.
