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William McRaven: Sequestration Won’t Deter SOCOM from Purchasing New Vehicles

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Adm. William McRaven
Adm. William McRaven

The U.S. Special Operations Command has said it would continue with its plans to buy new vehicles and revamp existing aircraft amid sequestration, Defense News reported Saturday.

Paul McLeary writes the command is set to award a contract for 1,300 ground mobility vehicles by the end of May to replace the legacy Humvee models with vehicles weighing less than 7,000 pounds and movable by H-47 Chinook.

Adm. William McRaven, head of SOCOM, said during an even at the Wilson Center in Washington that he would collaborate with the defense secretary and the Joint Chiefs for the special operations programs.

In its 2014 budget request, SOCOM asks for $24.7 million to buy 101 vehicles at $245,000 each, with potential contractors General Dynamics, AM General and Navistar International.

The command also seeks to acquire internally transportable vehicle to fit in the back of the Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, which it will acquire in 2017.

SOCOM’s April 5 request for proposal draft called for a 1,000-pound and 2,000-pound critical flight mission payloads that can accommodate various weapons, while another RFP dated June 2012 solicited for two ITV-fitting passengers’ seat, removable gunner’s sea, carriage for six casualties and a roll cage to withstand shock.

SOCOM’s 2014 budget bid also asks for $20 million to upgrade its AC-130J gunships, $10 million to support the AC/MC-130J aircraft’s situational awareness program, and $2 million to kick off the electronic warfare and radio-frequency countermeasures program for the C-130J.

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