Expeditionary Fire Support System

[thatguy96]

Alright, there is no IOC date in the GAO report. They were expecting a basic initial capability as of last July, and the design was reported as 95% finalized as of March of 2007 when the report was published.

The main issues then centered around getting the electronics to work (EFSS was supposed to fire within 30 seconds of recieving the command, with the average time in the report cited as closer to a minute) and the ITV. The ITV had its own issues, and ironically as of March 2007 the EFSS prime mover was the only variant not flight certified on the primary mission aircraft (CH-53E, MV-22, and C-130).

The FY07 budget also put $8 million into the ITV budget specifically for up-armoring. Two kits were going to be developed. An A kit designed to keep the vehicle within weight restrictions for airborne transportation, and a B kit designed to be readily installed after leaving an aircraft. The A kit adds 60 lbs of armor, while the B kit adds an additional 85 lbs (for a total of 145 lbs with both kits installed).