Marine Corps Upgrading Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Fleet.

• Author: Tadjdeh, Yasmin

NORFOLK, Va.--The Marine Corps has ambitious plans for its fleet of tactical wheeled vehicles as it modernizes its inventory with new platforms and upgrades existing systems.

There are "a lot of opportunities for the Marine Corps as far as investing in new capabilities we've never really used before," said Col. John Gutierrez, portfolio manager for logistics combat element systems at Marine Corps Systems Command.

One potential opportunity for industry is a new platform to replace the service's medium tactical vehicle, Gutierrez said during a panel discussion at the National Defense Industrial Association's annual Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Conference in Norfolk, Virginia.

Lorrie Owens, program manager for medium and heavy tactical vehicles, said the Corps is working through the requirements for the development and design of a new medium tactical platform. Last year, the service sent out a request for information to industry to conduct market research. Her office will use the RFI responses to refine requirements, she said.

The current platform was originally intended to start exiting the service this year, but has been extended until 2042, Owens said.

"We have really got to start getting after ... the replacement vehicle and what that's going to be, because the current truck isn't going to make it another 20 years without some substantial sus-tainment costs ... or the replacement vehicle coming online," Owens said.

No decision on a replacement vehicle has been made, she added, and none would be forthcoming until details on the service's next budget are available. The Marine Corps would like to move out on the platform starting in fiscal year 2024.

The service is currently open to several different sizes and configurations for the vehicle, Owens said. Her office is particularly interested in electrification and hybrid technology.

"Fuel efficiency is a hot-ticket item and that's kind of the buzzword of the day," she said. "That is definitely something that we would like to see in the future is a more fuel-efficient truck."

The office hopes to learn more about where industry is in electrification technologies through the RFI, she noted.

"We really wanted to see where industry was at ... from fuel efficiency modifications to ... better fuel consumption all the way up to hybrid" technology, Owens said.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Moore, program manager for light tactical vehicles, said the Corps is making strides within her portfolio, which includes...