Chiarelli: GCV usually will not weigh its max - Army News, news from Iraq, - Army Times: "Days before industry proposals were due, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli provided new details about the Ground Combat Vehicle program, saying the new vehicle could weigh up to 70 tons, but only if the threat environment required it.
“We’re looking at a vehicle that ranges in weight between 50 and 70 tons,” Chiarelli said Wednesday at the Army’s armor conference.
He said he’s been involved in some heated discussions lately about the GCV and the debate “always comes down to the weight of the vehicle.”
Critics point out that at 70 tons, the GCV would be the heaviest infantry fighting vehicle in existence and as heavy as the Abrams tank. Chiarelli said the extra weight in armor protection would be used only when needed.
“We’re not talking about a 70-ton vehicle, we’re talking about a 70-ton vehicle when we need it,” Chiarelli said."
