Future Combat Systems ---- USA

[thatguy96]

Marek_Tucan said:
Is it too late to change the program? All the vehicles look like ugly cheap tank toys, not like combat vehicles...

Those are just the concept designs. I don't think a physical mockup has been built, and there aren't any functional prototypes. I honestly don't think you'll see any members of the FCS family in service prior to 2020. All you have to do is look at the intertwining of tech and requirements.

The Army keeps twisting things around trying to get them on schedule, and I doubt they'll succeed. The had planned for Objective Force Warrior soldier systems to be deployed in the 2010-2012 timeline, but they had also expected Land Warrior to be fielded in 2004. The second iteration of Land Warrior was scrapped last year, supposedly having its developed elements separated (Mounted Warrior and Airborne Warrior), and its developmental elements placed under a new program (the Ground Soldier System). So now you have these Land Warrior spinoffs, Objective Force Warrior, Future Force Warrior, and the FCS, all of which are planned to function together, plus a number of major weapons and equipment programs all designed to bring it together (JTRS and the "Objective" weapons programs, all of which seem to be in various stages of delayed).

Whatever the FCS looks like now, it won't look like that when eventually fielded. Just look at what the FCS program looked like 1999 and what it looks like the better part of a decade after. If I was understanding the news releases correctly the test unit stood up to experiment with FCS tech and tactics has actually been using Stykers, as they present the best available use of existing tech designed to be integrated (and are compatible with things like Mounted Warrior). The first FCS unit of action was not planned until 2014, and I doubt you'll see it in a final form by then. I expect you'll see some composite of existing and leveraged FCS tech into interim versions of the vehicles.