From: Ron (rojoha@adelphia.net)
Date: Sat Dec 04 2004 - 14:50:01 PST
Hi Glenn:
IMHO, I have to differ with you on "The problems with them were all
overblown in the media, fueled by S&S's competitors."
We went around on this on the list a couple (4 or 5?) years ago.
A simple Google of FMTV GAO or GAO M35A2 yields links to the numerous
Government Accounting Office reports on the problems. The GAO suggested in
several of it's reports to dump the FMTV and stay with the M35A2 since the
original 5 year replacement sequence was in the toilet and the improvements
to fix 'New' vehicles would never make the FMTV a cost effective vehicle.
Heck, the program makes sense to me. The prototypes don't work, let's give
them a contract to build more of the trucks.
Yes, there were teething problems with the truck, minor things like a
European design fielded by a US company with NO experience running a
production line, no facilities owned to even build the proposed vehicles, no
support from the European designing company since the contract between SS
and them had ended, starting the contract with blueprints that were not even
in English, having to convert EVERY measurement, instruction and note from
metric to English measure, small stuff of no real consequence I guess. The
use of little understood exotic metals like steel, exotic coatings like
paint, types of things that are barely understood today, but were 60 years
ago, caused FMTV's to rust out while sitting in the high rainfall, humid
climate of the Texas SS 'factory' delivery parking lot while awaiting
delivery to the Army are quite understandable. My nasty old 1968 M35A2 sat
in a field at Fort Devens, Massachusetts for the last ten years of its
military life. No galvanized cab, no exotic electronics needed. Just no
nonsense engineering to provide a vehicle to haul 'stuff', easily
maintained, able to take abuse, and like the proverbial Timex, keep on
ticking.
Speed restrictions, Sweet spots susceptible to one shot 0.30 cal kills
and other design problems are not overblown by the 'competition', just poor
design and execution facts.
The Army bought, or was forced to buy turds, polished them and then
bought more. When we go back to take Iraq again in 30 years, we'll probably
find the M35A2's we are leaving them, still soldiering on.
Maybe on the next 5 year RFFMTV Truck design/delivery program, that is
allowed to be stretched to 30 years, it will be given to someone with fleet
experience of at least operating vehicles, say like UPS or Dominos Pizza.
But don't expect the yugos, excuse me, FMTVs, to ever make it to the surplus
market, let alone last to qualify for Antique plates.
And we now return you to the present non MV related, off topic thread,
already in progress....
Ron
----- Original Message -----
From: "Glenn Shaw" <mpmutt@mtaofnj.us>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: 03 December, 2004 15:31
Subject: Re: [MV] M35A3 closed at $45,949.00
Hi
Actually the FMTV's are turning out to be a fine vehicle. The upgrades to
cure some growing pains are now pretty much done with and the new ones
coming out are all updated designs. The problems with them were all
overblown in the media, fueled by S&S's competitors. Lots of polictics
involved as ussual.
Glenn
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