As planned, the new Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) will deliver highly survivable, lethal and supportable ground combat vehicles in several variants starting with a lead vehicle development effort.
Based on the US Army's experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, mobility has been raised to the top of the key operational design criteria.
The vehicle's design will focus on sustainability more than has been done to date in procuring an Army major weapons system.
The first variant the Army needs the most would be the infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), replacing the Bradley IFV and the M113 APCs currently in service.
The stated purpose of the Land 400 capability is to enhance the survivability and combat effectiveness of ground forces in close combat through the provision of a cost-effective, integrated Future Combat Vehicle System (FCVS).
The overall capability is expected to deliver an FCVS which incorporates platforms capable of being employed in a variety of roles including IFV, APC, C2 network support, ISTAR, medevac, logistic support, air and missile defence, and recovery.
There are striking similarities in the requirements and timing of the Australian Future Combat Vehicle and the US Ground Combat Vehicle.
Bearing in mind common programs such as M1A1 Abrams, Javelin, L125, JLTV etc, we would not be surprised if some Land 400 funding went towards GCV development, hopefully through cancellation of the M113 upgrade project.