A recent report on the advisability of converting the Army's tactical truck fleet to hybrid electric vehicles found that while the technology is feasible, it remains too expensive and too risky to warrant any action other than further study.

The Army is seeking feedback from industry on plans to quickly field a robotic vehicle that would follow small groups of soldiers around on the battlefields of Afghanistan to carry their equipment, according to a notice published on the Federal Business Opportunities website today.

Oshkosh recently showcased its autonomous Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles Load Handling Systems truck, equipped with its patented TerraMax self-driving technology.

The Army's tactical wheeled vehicle portfolio review is expected to be completed within the next month, according to two senior service leaders who helped create the service's TWV Acquisition Strategy and say the future of the fleet will include an emphasis on management and recapitalization.

The Army recently acquired Oshkosh Corp's first model of next-generation cargo vehicles known as the Palletized Load System A1, which features design improvements to make the vehicle more secure and robust "for logistics missions that face increased combat exposure," according to a statement released by the company.

The Army has sent Congress a new acquisition strategy for its massive fleet of tactical wheeled vehicles, advocating a "buy less, more often" approach and detailing its plans to "achieve the right mix of variants while modernizing to a 'scalable armor' fleet."

AM General recently received a $619 million contract to produce and deliver 2,562 up-armored humvees for the Afghanistan police force and the "national guard," according to a Defense Department contract announcement.

BAE Systems recently received $170 million in delivery orders to produce 32 U.S. Special Operations Command variants of its Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle and to upgrade 250 existing BAE variants headed to Afghanistan, according to a statement from the company.

With only one piece of military excess equipment shipped from Iraq to local authorities in the United States so far, an organization representing U.S. states says it has trouble securing even a modest amount of usable equipment from the tens of thousands of articles military officials plan to leave behind.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) last week questioned a Quadrennial Defense Review independent panel's findings of sufficiency in Army force structure, given the stress placed on the service by two wars.

The Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement program can easily develop the technology needed to improve the truck's mileage by 15 to 20 percent, program officials say, but they are still unsure whether the efficiency initiative can compete for funds with hardware requirements.

The Marine Corps has launched its first-ever review of equipment accountability and visibility in Afghanistan to uncover and fix problems that prevent military leaders from accurately tracking the movement of Marine vehicles, weapons and other assets throughout the country.

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program continues to move ahead in its technology-development phase while the Army tweaks future requirements and as vehicles from three industry teams undergo various tests.

The Pentagon late last week provided details on a new "ultra-lite MRAP prototype" effort revealed by the Pentagon comptroller in a recently issued budget document, clarifying in a statement to InsideDefense.com that the initiative involves the testing of lighter-weight armor solutions on existing MRAP vehicles.

Oshkosh Defense announced last week that it has received two orders from Army TACOM Life Cycle Management to deliver 950 Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles trucks.

The family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles used by the Marine Corps is a "huge" asset for Marines deployed in Afghanistan, the service's director of operations at the Pentagon said last week.

Oshkosh Corporation's defense division announced June 30 that it has received two delivery orders from the Army, valued at a total of $600 million, to extend production of nearly 1,900 new and recapitalized Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck A4 vehicles and more than 530 Palletized Load System Trailers, according to a statement from the company.

Efforts to make the Army's top battlefield fuel user into a hybrid vehicle have apparently stalled because industry and service officials do not think the technology is feasible, despite the efforts of two Maryland lawmakers who have earmarked millions of dollars for the effort.

BAE Systems has received a $27 million contract to equip Army Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles with tail light cameras designed to enhance soldiers' safety and situational awareness.

As more Mine Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicles continue to deploy to Afghanistan's rugged landscape, the Defense Department and industry continue to ponder the future of the MRAP program.