Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC)
Prime: TBD
Current Status: The Marine Corps deferred
Milestone A (MS A) for the Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC) program by two years to FY10.
This decision to delay the MPC program allows the Marine Corps to effectively prioritize
near-term investment decisions, providing a synchronized mobility strategy with respect to
the capabilities MPC and the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) offer for the future.
This investment period will also allow for the maturation of Government Furnished Equipment
(GFE) and armoring technologies the Marine Corps plans to integrate onto the vehicles once
produced.
Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC)
Q. Is the Marine Corps still interested in
the Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC)?
A. Yes. Although the Marine Corps deferred
MPC as a program by two years, the MPC Program Office is pursuing jointness with the Army
and including Stryker MOD in the revised MPC AoA.
Q. What more can you tell us about the Marine
Personnel Carrier (MPC) and when are you hoping to acquire it?
A. The MPC is a new capability that will
be a multi-wheeled, armored personnel carrier designed to operate across the range of
military operations but focused on an irregular warfare operating environment characterized
by operations in constrained and urban terrain. Required to carry 8-9 combat loaded
Marines and 2-man crew, the MPC will enable high-speed land maneuver as well as substantial
ballistic protection to embarked Marines. It is scheduled to begin Engineering,
Manufacturing and Development in 2012, with initial operational capability in 2018. The
acquisition objective is approximately 630 vehicles.
Q. What will the Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC)
do for the Marine Corps?
The Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC) will serve as
a medium lift personnel carrier and complements the capabilities offered by the Joint Light
Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) for light lift purposes and the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV)
for heavy lift purposes. The MPC will provide landward lift to Infantry battalions. One
Infantry battalion can be lifted by one MPC company along with the Infantry battalion's
organic wheeled assets. Two MPC-Personnel Carriers can lift a reinforced Infantry squad. An
Initial Capabilities Document (ICD) has already been approved and the Capability Development
Document (CDD) is in development.
Q. Is Stryker a good candidate to be MPC?
A. The initial Analysis of Alternatives
(AoA) included "legacy" Stryker and the MPC AOA identified a medium armored personnel
carrier as the solution to the MPC requirement.
When the Army was moving toward a Stryker upgrade
the Marine Corps saw an opportunity to collaborate on a joint material solution. Since that
time, the Marine Corps understands that the Army has limited their Stryker work to product
improvement on same basic Stryker chassis, thus limiting the scope of Stryker improvements.
For the record however, it's fair to say Stryker will necessarily be considered in its
current and Product Improvement Program- PIP'd configuration as we update the AOA in the
future.
The MPC program office is closely monitoring
Stryker MOD and that it could likely compete as a MPC candidate. However, procurement needs
to be full and open so that DoD acquires the best value - especially given the fact it
remains in service for 30 plus years.
Q. Why did the Marine Corps decide to
postpone the development of MPC?
A. The Marine Corps announced in May 2008
it was deferring Milestone A (MS A) for the MPC program to the FY10 time-frame to allow the
Marine Corps to effectively prioritize near-term investment decisions, in order to provide
a synchronized mobility strategy with respect to the capabilities MPC, the EFV and JLTV
offer for the future.
Q. Will MPC remain dormant in the intervening
two-year period?
A. No. The two-year investment period will
allow for the maturation of Government Furnished Equipment and armoring technologies the
Marine Corps plans to integrate onto the vehicles once produced. In addition, an MPC
Technology Demonstrator vehicle effort will be initiated to inform CDD development on achievable
capabilities and integration risks.
Q. What can you tell us about an ongoing
MPC Technology Demonstrator effort?
A. The MPC-Technology Demonstrator
(MPC-TD) vehicle will address all major functional areas and specifically the following:
- Mobility (Powerpack, drivetrain, suspension system)
- Survivability (Weight affects mobility)
- Electrical power generation, management and distribution
- C4ISR
- Vehicle Health Monitoring
Q. Where will the MPC Technology Demonstrator
effort take place?
A. At the Nevada Automotive Test Center
(NATC), Carson City, Nevada. This is the location that hosted the Combat Tactical Vehicle
(CTV) test bed for the JLTV program.
For more information on MPC or other PEO Land Systems Marine Corps programs, please contact
Mr. David M. Branham, PEO LS Public Affairs at (703) 432-4966, or by Email at David.Branham@usmc.mil.
Last Updated: 5/8/2009
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