via Ottawa Citizen.
The deliveries of the Canadian Army’s Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) has been delayed, Department of National Defence officials tellDefence Watch.Perhaps I've been jaded by my experience with the ACV. With that program its obvious to a monkey that the Marine Corps has delayed that program to the point where it should be canceled because of budget issues brought on by the F-35 (also known as the procurement trainwreck).
Deliveries of TAPVs were expected to begin in September 2014, and be completed by mid-2016.
But those deliveries have been pushed back and the first TAPVs are now expected to begin early 2016, DND noted in an earlier email to Defence Watch. (DND spokeswoman Ashley Lemire confirmed Thursday that early 2016 is still the timing for the first delivery)
The reason for the late delivery?
Issues with steering and other “design” aspects which were discovered last year.
“A first round of testing successfully identified design challenges,” DND noted. “This additional time will allow for a further testing and refining of the complex and inter-related designs of the vehicle’s structure, suspension, and steering.”
Having said all that, while Textron is on my "bad list" I still don't see something as simple as steering issues affecting a vehicle that is 99% off the shelf. Armor protection? I could see that. Weapon integration issues? Makes sense. But an issue with steering? Naw. It just doesn't sound right. Canada has been active in the fight against ISIS. I'm betting that budget woes are the real culprit here.
Sidenote: Speaking of the USMC and the ACV. I wonder if corporations still have their original design teams working on the vehicle? Remember when a "hot project" is being fought for corporations bring on their best people in all departments to get it done. The longer that program languishes the sooner the company decides to move all those hotshots onto other projects. Do we still have A teams working the ACV/MPC program or the JV team?
