The Defense Department’s plan to develop and deploy the new Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) needs reassessment, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated in a July 2 report to the House defense appropriations subcommittee. The EVF will replace the Marine Corps’ amphibious assault vehicle, and carry 17 combat-equipped Marines plus a crew of three, or serve as a command-and-control vehicle. The GAO report expressed concerns about the new vehicle’s reliability growth and other performance issues and procurement schedules. As of now, the vehicle’s development, test, and procurement schedules "add unnecessary risk to the program," GAO stated. "Costs could increase due to concurrency, redesign effort, and final procurement quantity."
