By Amanda Iacone
Federal News Radio

The Pentagon is looking for the next generation of armored trucks to replace the Humvee.

Bloomberg Government reports that Humvees are vulnerable to roadside bombs in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the vehicles may no longer match the military’s needs. The trucks replaced the jeep and were intended to transport troops and gear.

Both the Army and the Marine Corps are working on a replacement truck and plan to begin production in three years. The Defense Department is expected to award contracts for prototypes in the next two months, Bloomberg reported.

However some defense analysts say the department should spend its money elsewhere as the ground war in Afghanistan winds down and as the Defense Department prepares for budget cuts set to take effect in January.

The military wants to buy 55,500 of the joint light tactical vehicles to replace about one-third of the Humvees used by the Army and the Marines, Bloomberg reported.

The Government Accountability Office estimated that it will cost $54 billion to buy those new trucks. The planned budget cuts are expected to shave a total of $487 billion from defense spending during the next decade, according to the Bloomberg report.

This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily DoD Report. For more defense news, click here.

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