EFV program cost rises 27 percent

The EFV program was expected to begin low-rate initial production this year, with the first vehicle hitting the fleet in December 2010. That date has now pushed back to 2015, at the earliest. The EFV is intended to replace the aging Assault Amphibian Vehicle.

Pentagon officials raised their estimate of the total cost of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle program to $15.9 billion — up 27 percent from $12.5 billion in then-year, or non-inflation-adjusted, dollars — during a congressionally mandated review of the over-budget, behind-schedule, technically beleaguered effort.

The increase is due to delays and design problems with the next-generation amphibious vehicle, which has already been in development for 11 years, Marine Corps spokesman David Branham said June 7...

A DoD Operational Testing and Evaluation report said the EFV fails in numerous areas considered critical for combat. It breaks down, on average, about every eight hours and steers unpredictably when accelerating in water, the report said.

Read the rest at Marine Corps Times

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Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle delivery delayed to 2015; costs double