Cost Savings Associated with the LV 100-5 Tank Engine

The LV 100-5 turbine engine is the replacement for the AGT 1500 engine in the Abrams Main Battle Tank. The AGT 1500, produced with the Abrams in 1980, has now aged to the point where the engine costs exceed 60% of the total operations and support costs for the tank itself. In looking for a new engine, the Army also looked to improve the notoriously poor fuel economy associated with the Abrams. Besides the tremendous reliability and maintenance improvements, the LV 100-5 is designed to be over 25% more fuel-efficient during movement and 50% more efficient at idle than the AGT 1500. Prototypes of the LV 100-5 are due in May 2002 with full-rate production beginning in 2003. The objective of the thesis is to accurately determine the savings in gallons and dollars by this significant reduction in fuel usage, Research includes a detailed analysis of the LV 100-5 engine and a comparison to its predecessor, the AGT 1500, followed by the analysis of savings in a combat scenario and its life cycle. The information collected in this thesis provides further information for the Abrams Project Manager in his cost/benefit analysis.Naval Postgraduate School Monterey CA Graduate School of Business and Publicpolicy is the author of 'Cost Savings Associated with the LV 100-5 Tank Engine', published 2002 under ISBN 9781423510413 and ISBN 1423510410.