"Son of crusader".

• Author: Kojro, Chester A.
• Position: LETTERS - Letter to the editor

In reference to your June 2007, page 16, article, "Future combat vehicles will fall short of preferred weight," the distortions and half truths by proponents of the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) have now entered the realm of lies and damn lies. The program is a failure and they all know it.

The reason for a 20-ton limit was to allow delivery by C-130 cargo aircraft. This delivery method was the foundation of the entire FCS concept. Without it, FCS is redundant to the existing combat maneuver force.

Your article quotes Paul Rogers of TARDEC: "I think we will get the protection levels necessary to meet the FCS requirement, and the weight goal will always be a challenge." He is therefore committed to fielding a 27-ton vehicle regardless.

Even more interesting is Daniel Zanini, senior vice president at system integrator SAIC. He simply blows it off. He changes the entire paradigm of air delivery in his statement: "We're able to take C-17s places today where when we first started this program, you couldn't do."...