The M1161 Growler is officially the Internally Transportable Light Strike Vehicle (ITV-LSV) designed specifically for use with the
Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. The M1161 and M1163 are the only tactical vehicles certified to fly in the . Fulfilling multiple roles of
light utility,
light strike and
fast attack vehicle, the M1161 Growler is smaller than most international vehicles in the same role. It has taken over duties of the
M151 jeep-type variants and replaced the
Interim Fast Attack Vehicle
The Interim Fast Attack Vehicle (IFAV) is a reconnaissance vehicle deployed and used by the United States Marine Force Recon and Marine Expeditionary Units. Force Recon used to operate a fleet of Desert Patrol Vehicles (formerly known as Fas ...
(IFAV).
A separate
US Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
variant, the shorter two-seat M1163 prime mover is combined with the
M327 towed 120mm heavy
mortar, and also became its ammunition hauler after the M1162 trailer was cancelled.
History
Development for the Growler began in 1999 by
American Growler when the Marine Corps sought a vehicle that could be transported in a
Osprey. Though the initial design used elements and parts from the drive train of the
M151 which it was intended to replace, the final design featured entirely new parts and systems to allow it to fulfill its mission. This included allowing it to fit within the confines of a 's cargo bay. No major components from the M151 design are used in the manufacture of the M1161 or M1163 variant. Initial engineering of the M1161 is most closely related to American Growler's commercial UV 100 DB off-road vehicle. Manufacture of the Growler variants was later transferred to
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the Uni ...
facilities but are otherwise identical.
Development
Two different versions of the Growler were developed; the M1161 light strike vehicle (LSV), and the M1163 prime mover variant as part of the
Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS) towed heavy 120mm mortar. A number of the separate 36-round ammunition trailers, the M1162, were ordered but further design was dropped and its duties to carry the 35 lb mortar shells were incorporated into the M1163 Prime Mover. The M1161 LSV variant is armed with either an
M2HB .50cal BMG machine gun,
M240G 7.62mm MG or
Mk19 40mm automatic grenade launcher. The 120mm mortar towed by the M1163 Prime Mover is the French
RT-120, deployed by United States forces as the
M327 Dragon Fire. The Growler's central role of cross-country scout and aerially-deployed forward unit has led to further modifications, including use of the rifled precision extended range munition (PERM) system.
On November 10, 2004, the
Marine Corps Systems Command
Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) is the acquisition command of the United States Marine Corps, made up of Marines, sailors, civilians and contractors. As the only systems command in the Marine Corps, MCSC serves as Head of Contracting Authority ...
(MCSC) awarded
indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract M67854-05-D-6014 with
firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-award-fee contract line-item numbers for a base year and up to six option years to
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) is an American publicly traded, aerospace and defense corporation headquartered in Reston, Virginia. As of 2020, it was the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world by arms sales, and 5th largest in the Un ...
(GDOTS) for $12,057,159 for procurement of 66 EFSSs and up to 650 ITVs. The MCSC selected GDOTS over two other offerors. On September 20, 2007, Senator
Carl Levin
Carl Milton Levin (June 28, 1934 – July 29, 2021) was an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from Michigan from 1979 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the chair of the Senate Armed Services C ...
, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services filed a protest on behalf of a constituent, Rae-Beck Automotive, LLC, a subcontractor to one of the losing offerors. The
DOD inspector general's audit did not substantiate most of the constituent’s concerns, but did note concerns with the MCSC program management and contract award for the EFSS and ITV programs.
By 2008, unit cost had risen by 120%, leaving each Growler scout variant with a cost of $209,000 per unit. The prime mover mortar contract price rose by 86%, to $1,078,000 cost per unit.
The first Growlers were deployed to Marine units in January 2009 for field testing, one year beyond the contracted delivery date. By August 2011, 209 M1161s and 102 M1163s had been produced, with 42 additional M1163s on order. Eventually, 266 M1161 ITVs and another 145 "prime mover" variants were purchased.
The vehicles saw combat with elements of
MARSOC
United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) is a component command of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) that comprises the Marine Corps' contribution to SOCOM. Its core capabilities are direct action, spe ...
in Afghanistan from 2011-2014.
Problems with M1161 and M1163's throttle system were identified in May 2012 following an accident at
MCB Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast of the United States, West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Di ...
, California. The entire vehicle fleet was grounded, pending repair.
During
RIMPAC
RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise, is the world's largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held biennially during June and July of even-numbered years from Honolulu, Hawaii, with the exception of 2020 where it was held i ...
2014, the Marines fitted a Growler ITV with Torc Robotics' Ground Unmanned Support Surrogate (GUSS) system, turning it into an
unmanned ground vehicle
An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is a vehicle that operates while in contact with the ground and without an onboard human presence. UGVs can be used for many applications where it may be inconvenient, dangerous, or impossible to have a human op ...
. The GUSS system's aim is to lighten troops' loads by carrying up to of equipment; it can also serve as an unmanned medical evacuation vehicle. A GUSS-equipped ITV can autonomously follow a person wearing a beacon at a predetermined distance while cruising at up to . A Marine can take direct control of the vehicle through a robotic controller or switch it to manual operation and drive it themselves if needed. The unmanned ITV may be fielded within five years.
Replacement
In June 2012, the United States Special Operations Command (
USSOCOM
The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Ar ...
) expressed interest in procuring
Non Developmental Item (NDI) vehicles that would be highly mobile, transportable platforms.
[V22 ITV – Federal Business Opportunities: Opportunities]
/ref> The Marines are seeking a replacement for the Growler ITV, running parallel with SOCOM's efforts to develop a new Osprey-transportable vehicle. The effort comes from higher demand in operations and the service's Expeditionary Force 21 concept, which emphasizes lighter forces. Quick-reaction Marine expeditionary unit
A Marine expeditionary unit (MEU, pronounced as one syllable "" IPA: ) is the smallest air-ground task force (MAGTF) in the United States Fleet Marine Force.[casualty evacuation
Casualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff or colloquially Dust Off, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air. "DUSTOFF" is ...]
. The conclusion was that the ITV vehicles were ineffective as a strike vehicle, but worked well as a logistics vehicle by removing a lot of weight from Marines' backs.[
Manufactured between 2004 and 2010, Growler ITV procurement and fielding was ineffectively timed since operations in ]Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
led to most units relying on armored vehicles because of the threat of roadside bombs. Originally intended for infantry, Growlers were fielded primarily with reconnaissance, marine special operations, and artillery communities. A new ITV would be fielded with infantry forces to serve company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
-sized landing teams. Although designed for light strike, experiments have shown an ITV's greatest roles to be casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) and logistics to lighten individuals' loads. Replacement efforts were anticipated to begin in 2018.
Civilian Sales
In February 2019, GovPlanet announced that it will be selling the ITV Growlers to the public for the first time. Growlers will be sold in a public auction setting in March 2019.
Operators
Current operators
* United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...
: 600
Plus "approximately 1,000 vehicles to foreign militaries around the world."
See also
* Desert Patrol Vehicles
* Interim Fast Attack Vehicle
The Interim Fast Attack Vehicle (IFAV) is a reconnaissance vehicle deployed and used by the United States Marine Force Recon and Marine Expeditionary Units. Force Recon used to operate a fleet of Desert Patrol Vehicles (formerly known as Fas ...
* Spider LSV
* Phantom Badger
The Boeing Phantom Badger, or simply the Badger, is a combat support vehicle built by Boeing, in collaboration with MSI Defense Solutions. Designed for transport inside the V-22 Osprey, the Badger is notable for its size and versatility. Unlike p ...
* SPECTRE light vehicle
The SPECTRE is a lightweight all-terrain vehicle originally intended to replace the AM General High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle ( HMMWV) in some roles. As development of the Joint All-Terrain Modular Mobility Asset (JAMMA) vehicle (later ...
References
External links
Official site of Growler Manufacturing and Engineering, the current Growler manufacturer.
*
Current Growler brochure PDF
*
Current Growler Prime Mover brochure
Marines take fight to the enemy with EFSS
GovPlanet set to sell U.S. military ITV and MTVR vehicles for first time ever
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{{Post-WWII US Soft Vehicles
Military vehicles of the United States
Military light utility vehicles
Soft-skinned vehicles
Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s