Many questions linger on what the Pentagon’s shift to the Asia-Pacific region will mean for defense acquisition in the future, and Army vehicle programs are no exception – what place will they find in a post-Iraq/Afghanistan world?
As it turns out, the move likely will be beneficial to the Stryker and Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programs, but it’s not as clear what the future is for the M1 Abrams tank. The Army desires vehicle programs which will have operational capacity no matter the regional environment, but a pivot towards Asia challenges this agenda. In particular, the rough and isolated terrain of Asia requires that a capable Army vehicle has wheels instead of treads, high maneuverability, and be relatively simple to transport – attributes that don’t fit the Abrams tank.
The Stryker program fits these regional criteria well, on the other hand, and presents the added bonus of giving the option of being used as an expeditionary vehicle in addition to its normal use as a combat vehicle. Thus it is not surprising that Army restructuring in light of the withdrawal from the Middle East has only mildly affected the Stryker program, with relatively few brigades inactivated. Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said the result of this restructuring has had the effect of allowing the Strykers to “become a larger portion of the overall army.”
Complementing the capabilities of the Stryker program is that of the JLTV, which is slated to be the replace humvees. The JLTV compliments the combat capabilities of the Stryker by ensuring tactical support to and from the battlefield. The JLTV is also a wheeled vehicle with operational capability better suited for Asia, a quality which has increased the urgency of the program’s development.
However, there are questions about the JLTV’s abilities in urban environments, and the Army wants a versatile force that can handle all types of future battlefields. As a result, the Abrams tank may help the Army maintain that urban combat capability. The Abrams is still undergoing upgrades known as a “system enhancement package” (SEP) that would improve sights, displays, and tank-industry phone capability, making it more operational in an urban environment.
But those upgrades won’t be enough to make the Abrams tank a vehicle immediately suited for Asia, Clark noted.
“SEP V2 does not necessarily improve the ability of the M1A2 to operate in Asia [because] the regional allied forces that are envisioned to deploy to Southeast Asia will not be able to carry M1A2’s with them, and the tanks won’t be easy to use given narrow and poor-quality roads common in Southeast Asia,” he said.
Instead, recent events in Ukraine and the Middle East highlight a different future role for the Abrams tank – one that involves maintaining the Army’s global readiness, not just their footprint in Asia.
“The Army will still need to focus on support to NATO allies and our Gulf partners,” Clark said. “In these situations, Abrams might be more useful since the threats are more imminent.”
Reporting and analysis by Ayla Ybarra