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By
GORDON I. PETERSON
Senior Editor
Interview
with Arthur J. Veitch, Senior Vice President
Sea Power:
You recently took the helm of the Combat Systems Group at General
Dynamics after serving as the president of the Land Systems subsidiary
for a number of years. Could you briefly describe the scope of defense
programs now under your direction?
Veitch: General
Dynamics Combat Systems is a full-spectrum producer of some of the
world's most recognized and respected land combat vehicles, amphibious
vehicles, and armament and munitions systems. The group has the leading
market position in modernizing existing combat vehicles and in designing
vehicles for the future and building them today. Combat Systems consists
of two business units and has nearly 4,200 employees in 12 U.S. states
and four overseas countries.
Some of Land
Systems' key programs include: the Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAAV),
the world's most advanced amphibious combat system; the Mk46, a fully
stabilized weapon station selected for the LPD 17 ship class; the Marine
Corps' new electric-drive Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Targeting
Vehicle [RST-V], transportable onboard the V-22 Osprey; and the M1A2 SEP
Abrams, the world's finest main battle tank.
Significant
armament systems programs include the Hydra-70 Rocket, used on more than
20 types of aircraft worldwide; Gatling gun systems for nearly every
U.S. combat aircraft; reactive armor tiles, ammunition-handling systems,
and munitions production and demilitarization.
The AAAV
appears to be moving forward on schedule and within budget; what is your
assessment of the program?
The AAAV
program is progressing very well. It is the U.S. Marine Corps' number
one ground priority. General Dynamics is committed to continuing our
partnership with the Marine Corps that has led to its success.
The success of
this program is directly related to the effectiveness of the Acquisition
Reform Initiatives practiced by the AAAV team in Woodbridge,
Virginia--such as the use of integrated product teams, and modeling and
simulation. Being collocated with the Marines and key members of our
supplier team provides tremendous advantages in communications,
understanding, and decision-making. We have revolutionized the way
weapons are built.
The AAAV
will give Marines unprecedented mobility when used in combination with
the MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft and LCAC [Landing Craft, Air
Cushion]. What are some of its more important characteristics?
The AAAV is the
most advanced amphibious combat system in the world. It will skim the
ocean surface at 25 knots and transition to its land mode for ground
travel at 45 miles per hour--all the while protecting 17 combat-loaded
Marines and its crew of three from a variety of threat weapons.
Its outstanding
water mobility is the most visible characteristic and provides the
ability to capitalize on the ship-to-objective maneuver tactics that are
an important part of Operational Maneuver from the Sea. AAAV also
greatly advances land mobility, survivability, and lethality of the
amphibious forces--which give the AAAV the flexibility to operate over a
broad spectrum of missions.
What factors
contributed to the Navy's decision to adopt the AAAV's Mk46 gun system
for its LPD 17 class of amphibious ships?
A version of
the AAAV Mk46 30mm weapon station was selected by the Navy as the
antisurface warfare self-defense weapon for LPD 17 because it is much
more effective than the manually aimed, unstable gun originally
envisioned, and because it offers significant cost and weight
reductions. Navy studies showed ownership costs are reduced $250
million, and there is a 20 metric-ton weight savings compared to the
system it replaces.
The Marine
Corps derives these benefits because of the common ammunition, spare
parts, and training that the LPD 17-class ships and the AAAV will share.
Mk 46 also has great potential for other shipboard and ground vehicle
applications.
What will be
some of your early goals and priorities for the Combat Systems Group as
you lead it into the 21st century?
I want to
expand our leadership position as the world's preferred supplier of land
and amphibious combat vehicles, munitions, armament systems products,
and design, integration, and support services.
We will
intensify our focus on understanding and rapidly satisfying the needs of
our worldwide customers with the affordable, high-quality, technically
superior products they seek. I want to be able to better anticipate
market opportunities and capture the new technology that will help us
grow our business.
I also feel it
is very important that we continue to strengthen our relationship with
all of our customers, employees, unions, suppliers, local communities,
and government representatives and officials. I hope to challenge each
member of the Combat Systems team to reach beyond their comfort zone in
search of novel and unique approaches to doing our daily business to
make us a more successful organization. |
