Why not Jeep???

[Flyin6]

I see that the US Armee is buying a crap ton of modified Colorados to use as light infantry vehicles. The modified Colorado features almost no body panels, all the ZR2 gear, stock axles, and a hefty roll cage.
Where was Jeep during this testing? In my view, a beefed-up Gladiator with a diesel would have been a better troop transport. I watched a video of the Colorado negotiating terrain with many instances of a wheel hanging precariously in the air, as you would expect with independent suspension. The Jeep platform would behave much better with its live axle.
It's a big miss in my opinion especially when you consider who will be driving those things...Grunts! For some reason, when young men join the military, they revert to the "Completely stupid" mode. You see things you never would expect to happen with them regularly.
A couple of examples: Flying Chinooks in the 101st, once, I delivered a sling-loaded HMMWV to a flat field, set it down, then landed nearby and let the grunts out. The driver gets into the vehicle and drives it right off a cliff! Another time, a buddy of mine is flying at 500 feet with another HMMV hanging below. The crew chief lying on the floor looking out the "Hell-hole" at the dangling vehicle decides to start fiddling with the emergency cargo hook release lever...Guess what happened.
And the stupid new-guy thing seems to be universally true. Talking to a frustrated Marine sergeant once in Kandahar, I asked him what was bothering him. He answered, "My two new privates." (At least I think he called them privates) He continued, "I swear if you lock those two idiots in a room with two steel balls, and come back in an hour, one steel ball will be missing, and the other one will be broken, and neither Marine will have any idea what happened!"

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[Jrgunn5150]

The government doesn't buy anything based on what's best or cost efficient.

They buy based on who kicks back the most, who fills the Super Pac, and who plays their game.

It's why mil spec is a joke to everyone.

 

[WambliSka]

GM: American Car manufacturer, though you would not know it by diving into their suppliers and where their plants are for most vehicles. But, the Colorado is assembled in the USA. About 50% of their parts are USA/Canada made.

Stellantis: European based owners of Jeep. But Jeep Is still an American car manufactured vehicle with 70% parts from USA and Canada.

Decision probably driven by politics and not actual logistics or even logic...

 

[Flyin6]

The government doesn't buy anything based on what's best or cost efficient.

They buy based on who kicks back the most, who fills the Super Pac, and who plays their game.

It's why mil spec is a joke to everyone.

True with respect to some things, I suppose, but in my experience, it has more to do with the senator who is willing to push hardest to get the thing done in his state.
That is why when we do something complicated such as a new jet, the engines are built in Ohio, the fuselage in California, the wings in Kansas and the training in Texas, oh and the electronics in three different factories.

 

[Flyin6]

GM: American Car manufacturer, though you would not know it by diving into their suppliers and where their plants are for most vehicles. But, the Colorado is assembled in the USA. About 50% of their parts are USA/Canada made.

Stellantis: European based owners of Jeep. But Jeep Is still an American car manufactured vehicle with 70% parts from USA and Canada.

Decision probably driven by politics and not actual logistics or even logic...

The decision is definitely driven by politics, as I mentioned in my earlier post. But I am gritting my teeth knowing we could have done better for our boyz in uniform!

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

DOD has had contracts in place with Ford and GM for ages. Trying to go outside of that supply chain and being able to justify it is an absolute nightmare. I’ve never even heard of Jeep having a “fleet” program. That’s essentially what it is.

 

[Janster]

They went with the low bidder…….. and Stellantis wasn’t interested enough to go lower.

 

[g2020]

In my view, a beefed-up Gladiator with a diesel would have been a better troop transport.

The ZF 8HP75 transmission, for the diesel, is made in Germany. This could have been one of the many political factors involved.

 

[Flyin6]

The ZF 8HP75 transmission, for the diesel, is made in Germany. This could have been one of the many political factors involved.

Isn't it built by license in the US?

 

[RudeJeepin]

Kinda doesn't matter since there hasn't been a diesel Gladiator for 3 model years now.

 

[LouisvEarlleJT]

They went with the low bidder…….. and Stellantis wasn’t interested enough to go lower.

This.

Also probably a bit of production availability/speed.

Mil Spec = who can do it cheapest, and quickest

 

[Mr._Bill]

Isn't it built by license in the US?

That's the one that's paired with the gas engine.

 

[Flyin6]

Producing a military version of both the 3.0 and the transmission would not be an issue. Those changes could be made with a phone call. With the money from sales, replacements, and spare parts, tweaking the supply chain would be well worth the effort.
And I might point out that GM is also supplying a militarized version of the HD truck. Here's another example of a poor choice over the Cummins Ram offering. Our truck has a live axle, easily eclipsing the off-road manners of a GM

 

[Flyin6]

This.

Also probably a bit of production availability/speed.

Mil Spec = who can do it cheapest, and quickest

Mil Spec has some applicability in the tactical environment, but much of it is unnecessary. Example: Mil aircraft are protected against a certain amount of EMP, the sort that pulses with a nuclear detonation. In my "back in the day" Chinook, you'd be fine. Find yourself at the flight levels in an Airbus, and you're in for a wild ride followed by a sudden stoppage!

 

[Ramboy]

I see that the US Armee is buying a crap ton of modified Colorados to use as light infantry vehicles. The modified Colorado features almost no body panels, all the ZR2 gear, stock axles, and a hefty roll cage.
Where was Jeep during this testing? In my view, a beefed-up Gladiator with a diesel would have been a better troop transport. I watched a video of the Colorado negotiating terrain with many instances of a wheel hanging precariously in the air, as you would expect with independent suspension. The Jeep platform would behave much better with its live axle.
It's a big miss in my opinion especially when you consider who will be driving those things...Grunts! For some reason, when young men join the military, they revert to the "Completely stupid" mode. You see things you never would expect to happen with them regularly.
A couple of examples: Flying Chinooks in the 101st, once, I delivered a sling-loaded HMMWV to a flat field, set it down, then landed nearby and let the grunts out. The driver gets into the vehicle and drives it right off a cliff! Another time, a buddy of mine is flying at 500 feet with another HMMV hanging below. The crew chief lying on the floor looking out the "Hell-hole" at the dangling vehicle decides to start fiddling with the emergency cargo hook release lever...Guess what happened.
And the stupid new-guy thing seems to be universally true. Talking to a frustrated Marine sergeant once in Kandahar, I asked him what was bothering him. He answered, "My two new privates." (At least I think he called them privates) He continued, "I swear if you lock those two idiots in a room with two steel balls, and come back in an hour, one steel ball will be missing, and the other one will be broken, and neither Marine will have any idea what happened!"

Good question; lots of greased palms would be my guess. I saw a short vid on YouTube where a gal was touting the off-road prowness of her new Bronco while climbing over a low profile rock with the rear wheel high in the air. Sheesh!

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