Quote Originally Posted by reed11b View Post
But if I convert just one more to my point of view, I get a free toaster!
doesn't count even in horseshoes...
On the serious side, One of my disagreements with the SBCT concept is that the Styker is so fundamental to it, that even if the METT-TC demanded it, you will never hear "OK boys, were having additional aviation assets attached and were leaving the trucks behind."
also true of Mech inf and Bradleys or whatever -- thank you for making my point.
The current MRAPs are in fact better left behind, being poorly designed to do anything other then survive mine blasts, and the RG-31 and similar designs are not what I am referring to when I talk about an IMV. Ideally an IMV should affordable, simple, and provide some degree of protection and operational (not tactical) mobility.
If it's an 'infantry' vehicle, it needs tactical mobility, period. That generally means 'lighter' thus little or no Armor -- which works for me, Armor is vastly over rated as a protective device; it offers some, no question but it also has a number of down sides. Better operational mobility is generally provided by aircraft for infantry in most circumstances though Armor and Mach do need operational AND tactical mobility in their vehicles. That's achievable.
Even support vehicles need some degree of protection as we re-learned the hard-way..again.
METT-TC. Cannot understand why that concept is so hard to accept; one size fits all never works well for warfare. Leslie J. McNair and his stupid 'everything should be GP...' mantra screwed up the thinking of the US Army.

Support vehicles need some form of protection if -- and only if -- you're going to operate in an environment where it's required. In other -- most -- situations, you're just wasting money on an unneeded capability. Every penny spent on junk not needed is money not spent on training which is needed and which we do not do well -- due to financial constraints. Best solution is not to go with pure protected as some seem poised to do but to have vehicles which can be easily up armored, threat dependent -- which some others are also trying to do.