The original thread on this topic was deleted, so...



Cameras for Cougars in Iraq & Afghanistan

DID
Posted 02-Jun-2006 09:55
link

Cougar-H 4×4 EOD


GyroCam Systems LLC in Sarasota, FL received a $43.4 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum ordering quantity of 67 of their 360-degree camera systems plus associated manuals, installation, deployment blocks, field support, and training. Manufacturing will be performed in Sarasota, FL, with installation on the Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan. Alert DID reader will recognize the JERRV as a designation for Force Protection's V-hulled Cougar vehicles, whose success in Iraq was documented in our anchor article "Cougar Armored Trucks to Stalk Mines on the Battlefield."

Work on the GyroCam contract is expected to be complete by May 2007. This contract is a limited competitive commercial contract award to GyroCam Systems LLC by the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA (M67854-06-D-5034).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sgt_Schlappy,

Heavyweight 'Cougars' Protect Marines in Iraq

(Source: US Department of Defense; issued June 19, 2006)

WASHINGTON --- The Marine Corps is using fat cats to combat enemy-emplaced roadside bombs in Iraq. However, these hefty "Cougars" aren't felines. They're heavily armored wheeled trucks that are robust enough to ward off much of the deadly energy generated by improvised explosive devices favored by insurgents.

Cougars and other similarly built U.S. vehicles employed in Iraq feature armor-plated V-shaped bottoms designed to deflect the upward explosive power of roadside bombs that account for the majority of U.S. casualties in Iraq. Explosive ordnance teams as well as combat engineers use the trucks. Each can weigh 30,000 pounds or more, depending on the model.

The trucks began arriving in Iraq in the late fall of 2004 as part of an accelerated Defense Department acquisition program. Reports from Iraq say the heavyweight trucks have saved many service members' lives.

"These vehicles provide unmatched protection capabilities for combat engineers and EOD teams by withstanding both armor-piercing and anti-tank mine blasts," Marine Maj. Gen. William D. Catto told House Armed Services Committee members during a June 15 hearing here. The Marines have fielded 26 Cougars in Iraq, thus far, Catto said.

Joint EOD rapid response vehicles, known by the acronym JERRVs, are another, similar variant of the Cougar concept. The Marine Corps has ordered 122 JERRVs, Catto said, for overseas deployment to joint-military explosive ordnance disposal teams. The Marine Corps is slated to get 38 JERRVs of its own.

These vehicles "are designed with protection capabilities that are very similar to the Cougar," Catto, who heads Marine Corps Systems Command, said at the hearing.

Catto said all 122 JERRV deliveries are to be completed this month. And MCSC, he added, awarded a contract in May 2006 for 57 more trucks earmarked for joint forces' use.

"The Marine Corps is committed to aggressively matching our equipment to changing threats," Catto told the committee. "Our ability to rapidly modify our vehicle armoring systems is another testament to this commitment."

-ends-

Marines Order Additional Cougar Vehicles

(Source: Force Protection, Inc.; issued June 20, 2006)

LADSON, S.C. --- Force Protection, Inc. today announced a follow-on order by the U.S. Marine Corps for 15 additional Cougar Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicles (JERRV). The order, which includes associated support items and services, is worth an estimated $9.3 million.

The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Force Protection a contract for 79 Cougar JERRVs in May. This marks the second delivery order made under the contract in less than two months. All vehicles will be manufactured and delivered to the government this calendar year.

"The Joint IED Defeat Organization is funding these vehicles in a manner that leaves no question as to how urgently they are needed," said Force Protection CEO Gordon McGilton. "We are responding in kind not only with this life-saving technology, but with the resources necessary to maintain the vehicles at the highest levels of performance."

Force Protection has placed more than 30 Field Service Representatives (FSRs) in the field to assist the armed forces in training and vehicle maintenance in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"We have a proven solution to counter IEDs in the Cougar JERRV," said Vice President for Marine Corps Programs Wayne Phillips. "It is being fielded in greater numbers every day, and with the support system created by the deployment of our FSRs, troops will continue to have the resources that ensure optimal use of these vehicles."

..[related]...



Force Protection Unveils Cheetah, Its Latest Vehicle Series

(Source: Force Protection, Inc.; issued Oct. 13, 2006)

WASHINGTON --- Armored vehicle manufacturer Force Protection, Inc., maker of the Buffalo and Cougar blast- and ballistic-protected vehicles deployed with U.S. armed forces since 2003, unveiled its newest vehicle series, the Cheetah, on Capitol Hill Tuesday (10/10).

The Cheetah combines Force Protection's state-of-the-art blast protection technology with the mobility of a unique light-armored vehicle design ideal for reconnaissance, forward command and control, and urban operations.

More than 250 Hill staff members attended a briefing on the performance of the Buffalo and Cougar, neither of which has sustained fatalities to any passenger in three years of active operations in the global war on terror. Following the briefing, staffers took turns riding in the Cheetah near the Capitol building.

"We deeply appreciate the support we've received from you all," Force Protection Vice President for Sales Michael Aldrich told the capacity crowd. "We could not produce the vehicles in the numbers we do without your hard work and the resources you provide industry in the global war on terror."

Force Protection was a featured exhibitor this week at the 2006 AUSA Annual Meeting in the Washington, DC Convention Center, where it also introduced a field ambulance variation on the design of the company's Cougar 6x6 vehicle. When fielded, it will be the first fully mine-protected battle ambulance in use with United States forces.

-ends-

Force Protection Subcontracts Cougar Production to General Dynamics

(Source: Force Protection, Inc.; issued Nov. 16, 2006)

LADSON, S.C. --- Force Protection, Inc. today announced it has reached an agreement with General Dynamics Land Systems to partner in the production of its Cougar medium mine-protected vehicle. The agreement, which took effect 11/11, marks the first vendor arrangement between the companies

Force Protection will be prime contractor under the agreement, with General Dynamics as subcontractor, using available production capacity at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio to perform structure fabrication of the vehicle.

Force Protection's Cougar vehicle has been deployed since 2004 in the global war on terror. It was first used by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Falujah, and is now used by all branches of U.S. armed forces due to its unmatched safety record in the field. To date, not a single fatality has occurred in a Force Protection vehicle.

"Warfare has changed, and the equipment needed by our troops to stay protected in the face of emerging threats must change with it," said Force Protection CEO Gordon McGilton. "The blast protection technology incorporated in the Cougar is the best available in the world today. Force Protection is delighted to partner with an organization of the caliber, depth and experience of General Dynamics to ensure the production capacity necessary to get this vehicle to the field in the numbers needed."

Armor to Produce Cougar Mine-Protected Vehicles

(Source: Force Protection, Inc.; issued Nov. 20, 2006)

LADSON, S.C. --- Force Protection, Inc. today announced it has reached an agreement with the Aerospace & Defense Group of Armor Holdings, Inc. to join in the production of Force Protection's Cougar medium mine-protected vehicle.

Force Protection will be the prime contractor under the agreement, with Armor Holdings as principal subcontractor, using its Sealy, Texas based capacity and core expertise in the automotive integration and assembly of the vehicle.

"Force Protection's commitment has always been to get the life-saving technology incorporated in the Cougar and our other vehicles out to the field in the numbers needed," said Force Protection CEO Gordon McGilton. "This partnering agreement is an important step to ensure this takes place, especially in light of the increasing demand for the vehicle. We are extremely pleased to work with a company of the breadth and depth of Armor Holdings as we continue to fulfill this objective."

Force Protection's Cougar vehicle has been deployed since 2004 in the global war on terror. Despite more than 1,000 mine detonations and IED attacks, not a single fatality has occurred in a Force Protection vehicle. The Cougar was first used by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in Falujah, and its use has since been expanded to all branches of the U.S. armed forces.

Robert Schiller, President of Armor Holdings, Inc., said, "Force Protection's Cougar armored vehicle has a proven record of saving lives. Armor Holdings has a proven record of economically supplying world class quality tactical wheeled vehicles in high volumes, and we are very pleased to be working with Force Protection toward getting this critical capability to our troops."

The understanding between the companies is effective as of November 11, 2006. Force Protection has delivered more than 300 blast- and ballistic-protected vehicles to the U.S. government since 2003.


Armor Holdings, Inc. is a diversified manufacturer of branded products for the military, law enforcement, and personnel safety markets.

Force Protection, Inc. manufactures ballistic- and mine-protected vehicles through its wholly owned subsidiary. These specialty vehicles are protected against landmines, hostile fire, and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs, commonly referred to as roadside bombs). Force Protection's mine and ballistic protection technology is among the most advanced in the world. The vehicles are manufactured outside Charleston, S.C.

-ends-

US Marines Order Additional Cougar Vehicles

(Source: Force Protection, Inc.; issued Dec. 8, 2006)

LADSON, S.C. --- Continuing strong demand for Force Protection, Inc.'s armored vehicles was highlighted today as the manufacturer announced another delivery order from the U.S. Marine Corps worth an estimated $69 million for 100 additional Cougar Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicles (JERRV). The order marks the fulfillment of a sole source contract previously announced and awarded to Force Protection on November 9, 2006.

More than 300 Force Protection vehicles are currently in the field, and have an unmatched record for troop safety in the face of improvised explosive devices, land mines and roadside bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Popular with explosive ordnance disposal teams and other first response units who credit the vehicles with saving their lives, the vehicles incorporate a V-shaped hull design that deflects the force of blasts away from passengers.

"Our vehicles have set the standard for blast protection," said Force Protection CEO Gordon McGilton. "Thousands of incidents in the global war on terror show that Force Protection's proven blast protection technology saves the lives of our troops on the ground who constantly face explosive threats. We are gratified to know that many more vehicles will be deployed in support of their critical mission. This order once again confirms that the investments we have been making to increase our capacity will prove to be time and money well-spent."

Marines Buy Additional Force Protection Vehicles

(Source: Force Protection, Inc.; issued Jan. 16, 2007)

LADSON, S.C. --- Because of increased capacity to rapidly produce its life-saving vehicles, Force Protection, Inc. said today it was able to respond to the U.S. Marine Corps' urgent operational need for 15 of the company's Cougar Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicles (JERRV).

The contract for the vehicles, spare parts, and sustainment services is worth an approximate $9.4 million. All 15 vehicles will be delivered in January.

"We are pleased to be able to respond to this urgent need so quickly," said Force Protection Vice President for Program Management Damon Walsh. "Due to our ramp up efforts that include expanding production lines and improving manufacturing efficiencies, these vehicles are being produced and readied for presentation to the government in the same month the order was received.

"This is indicative of our increased capacity to produce these unmatched blast- and ballistic-protected vehicles with the required speed to support our soldiers in Iraq," he said. "Based on the strategic manufacturing partnerships we have formed recently, that capacity will only continue to expand."

Force Protection's Buffalo and Cougar vehicles have logged more than 1.6 million hours of combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. Known for the unmatched level of troop safety they provide, the Buffalo and Cougar are deployed by all branches of U.S. armed forces.

I am curious as to opinions on why the Military has not decided to change to the NEWER LED Composite and LED Blackout Drive Lamps that are now being provided for many of the Tactical Vehicles?

These are NOT the same LED Lights that have been around for 6-7 years, but the latest technology with a better light source!

The process is slow to change in the Military, I understand, but there is a new LED Blackout Drive Lamp that is field tested and proven to add to the safety of our Soldier / Marine - and at NO cost increase!

All of these products are available for change TODAY and Marines in Theater have stated they will save lives!


Thanks!!


SPAM contact removed

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ipscone,

Pentagon Orders Mine-Resistant Trucks

Associated Press | March 08, 2007
source link

OSHKOSH, Wis. - A new combat truck with a V-shaped bottom designed to withstand blasts from roadside bombs is performing with such success in Iraq that the U.S. military is pressing a Wisconsin company and others to churn out hundreds more in the coming months.

About 200 prototypes of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles have been deployed in Iraq since 2004, said Capt. Jeff Landis, spokesman for the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, Va. No Marine has died while in one of the trucks, Landis said.

"This is the best vehicle available for safety and survivability," he said. "The MRAP vehicle supplies troops with the greatest protection we've had."

Force Protections Industries in Ladson, S.C., built the 200 prototypes. Within the past month, the Pentagon awarded about $210 million in contracts to Force Protections, Oshkosh Truck Corp., and three other companies in the U.S. and Canada to manufacture a total of nearly 400 more vehicles. Landis said the military hopes to receive them by the end of the year.

The key is the truck's V-shaped steel body, which flares like the hull of a boat, said Oshkosh Truck spokesman Joaquin Salas.

"The shape channels the full force of a blast up the sides of the vehicle rather than through the floor," Salas said. "It's all physics. Vehicles with that shape are extremely effective."

Since the war began, more than 3,160 U.S. service members have died in Iraq. Roadside bombs account for 70 percent of U.S. deaths and injuries in Iraq, according to Defense Department records and testimony.

The Pentagon has been criticized for supplying insufficient armor for Humvees, the standard vehicles used for transport. The military has since fitted thousands of Humvees with additional armor. But most of the surfaces on a Humvee's underside are flat, creating a large area that catches the force of land mine blasts.

The new vehicles also have tires that can be driven on even when flat.

Commanders in Iraq originally said the military would need 4,100 mine-resistant vehicles, but they raised their request to 6,738 in mid-February after seeing how well the trucks protected occupants, Landis said. Those requests are subject to approval by Congress.

In addition to Force Protections and Oshkosh, the other contractors are Protected Vehicles Inc. of North Charleston, S.C.; BAE Systems in Washington; and General Dynamics Land Systems in Ontario, Canada.

The trucks come in three categories, from the small - a 7-ton truck that holds six passengers - to the colossal - a 22 1/2-ton mammoth that carries 12 passengers. By comparison, General Motors' Hummer H3 weighs about 3 tons and a military tank around 71 tons.

Despite the new trucks' protective strength, military officials said they do not believe they will completely displace lighter, more maneuverable vehicles.

Marines Award MRAP Contract

(Source: Force Protection, Inc.; issued April 24, 2007)

LADSON, S.C. --- Force Protection, Inc. today announced it has received a $490 million contract award to produce 1,000 vehicles for the U.S. Marine Corps' Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program.

This latest delivery order calls for 300 Category I Cougar 4X4 and 700 Category II Cougar 6X6 vehicles. Manufacturing will be performed in Ladson, South Carolina; Charlotte, Michigan; Kings Point, North Carolina; Sealy, Texas and by General Dynamics Land Systems in Lima, Ohio.

"This order represents the single largest mine-resistant vehicle contract ever awarded," said Force Protection COO Raymond Pollard. "We are pleased to note that among several competitors, and on Capitol Hill, Force Protection's Cougar and Force Dynamics' accelerated delivery schedule are recognized as the necessary combination to produce vehicles that will immediately support ground missions and save lives."

General Dynamics Land Systems shares in the production and program management of the contact under its joint venture agreement with Force Protection.

The Marines have estimated total MRAP vehicle requirements to be in excess of 7,700 vehicles, worth an approximate $8.4 billion. Force Protection's Cougar and Buffalo vehicles have withstood more than 2,000 IED and mine attacks since 2003, and have an unmatched record for troop safety in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Armored Vehicles for Iraq Delayed

Pentagon to Speed Up Deployment of MRAP Vehicles

(Source: US Department of Defense; issued May 10, 2007)

WASHINGTON --- Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is exploring ways to speed up the timetable for getting more Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles to troops in Iraq.

Gates told reporters during yesterday’s Pentagon news conference that he’s impressed by what he’s read about the MRAPs and the improved troop protection they offer over up-armored Humvees.

He cited an article that noted that no Marines had been killed during 300 incidents in which their MRAPs were involved in improvised-explosive-device attacks. “That certainly got my attention,” he said.

The MRAP’s raised, V-shaped underbelly deflects the force of IEDs and other blasts from below.

Sixty-five MRAPs in use in Iraq are saving Marines’ lives, Lt. Gen. Emerson Garner, the Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for programs and resources, told a congressional committee earlier this year.

“Our experience is that Marines in these vehicles have been four or five times safer than a Marine in an armored Humvee,” Garner told members of the House and Senate Sea Power and Expeditionary Forces subcommittees. “Based on this experience, we recently decided to replace our armored Humvees in theater on a one-for-one basis with MRAPs.”

Gates said he supports that effort and hopes to get the Army to speed up its procurement timetable for the vehicles, too. “My understanding … is that the Army has been recalibrating its interest and has substantially increased the number of these vehicles they think they can use,” he said.

The services have ordered about 7,700 of the vehicles, at a cost of about $8 billion. Gates plan to meet with Army and Marine Corps officials tomorrow to discuss their MRAP procurement plans and explore ways to accelerate them.

Up-armored Humvees offered the best protection available when they were fielded, but Gates said MRAPs provide even more. “Now we have something better, and we’re going to get that to the field as best we can,” he said.

Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called MRAPs an example of how industry has stepped up to the plate to come up with solutions to military needs. “I think what you have is a natural evolution of technology and very sharp people in business and industry looking at the problem and devising different ways to defeat the problem,” he said.

While acknowledging the benefit of the MRAPs, Pace cautioned that they don’t represent an end-all to the dangers of IEDs.

“There’s no solution out there that’s going to protect everybody from everything all the time,” he said. “What you try to do is … provide the best protection you can that still allows a soldier (or) Marine to be able to go out and do the job they need to do.”

Giving every deployed troop a private M-1 Abrams tank would probably be the best protection, but even tanks are vulnerable to some weapons, Pace said.

He added that most jobs required in the combat zone can’t be accomplished while rumbling around the city inside a tank.

“So you’ve got to find the right balance between force protection and the mission that needs to be done,” he said. (ends)


--------------------------------------


Transcript of Pentagon’s May 9, 2007 Press Briefing (excerpt)

(Source: US Department of Defense; issued May 10, 2007)

DoD Operational Update Briefing with Secretary Gates and General Pace from the Pentagon Briefing Room, Arlington Va.


QUESTION: The MRAP program, the Mine Resistant Armor Program (sic/Ambush Protected). You sent the memo last week to the service secretaries of the Navy and asking them to come back Friday with a plan, an approach, to accelerate procurement. This is the first program you've really weighed in on from what I can tell. What prompted the memo? And also, you mentioned in it your concern about a wide variance in the approach between the Army and the Marines in using the vehicle. Could you elaborate a little bit?

SEC. GATES: Well, I think the first thing that caught my attention, as is often the case, was a newspaper article that indicated that out of something like 300 incidents involving IEDs, where these MRAP vehicles were involved, no Marines had been killed. And that certainly got my attention. And the more we looked into it, it was clear that there was a lot of interest in this. There's clearly interest in it on the Hill. They've added money to the supplemental to buy more MRAPs.

My concern is that the rate of production is nowhere near what it needs to be to meet the demand on the part of either the Army or the Marine Corps, and there's several different categories of these things. And one of the questions I had -- the Marines had actually at one point ordered a lot more of these vehicles than the Army had, and that was the basis of my question about how they looked at it differently.

My understanding -- I haven't seen a piece of paper on it -- is that the Army has been recalibrating its interest and has substantially increased the number of these vehicles they think they can use.


QUESTION: General Pace, you were around for the controversy about we don't have enough up-armored humvees. The Pentagon spent billions of dollars to get about 12,000, 13,000 in theater. Now you have to buy a new vehicle almost supplanting the humvee. What went wrong? Was that vehicle not effective in the long run?

GEN. PACE: Oh, I think what you have is a natural evolution of technology and very sharp people in business and industry looking at the problem and devising different ways to defeat that problem. And the up-armored humvee --


QUESTION: You said people -- sharp people in industry.

GEN. PACE: No, I mean sharp people in industry looking for ways to defeat that problem -- or to protect us from that problem. So the up-armored humvee and then the enhanced armor on the humvees -- same thing with protective body armor -- a certain way to defend yourself, then another manufacturer determines how to do it with -- thinner and lighter.

The same thing happens throughout the business world as people tackle problems. What this is the next evolution of vehicles that is responding to the underbelly attacks that sometimes take place. So it's a natural progression, I believe, of lighter, more effective, more resistant armor, both personal and vehicle.

SEC. GATES: I would that -- to your point -- it also is a reflection of the fact that we are dealing with a smart, agile enemy. And they are adjusting their tactics and their capabilities as we move along, and so, you know, we have the up-armored humvees, and they're the best we had and we got as many of them to the field as we could. Now we have something better, and we're going to get that to the field as best we can. But these are huge vehicles, first of all. These things are about the size of a bus, as far as I can tell. And -- is that about right?

GEN. PACE: Yes, sir. And there's no solution out there that's going to protect everybody from everything all the time.

What you try to do is, you try to provide the best protection you can that still allows a soldier, Marine to be able to go out and do the job they need to do.

So if you put everybody, each soldier, inside of his own private M-1 tank, he would have great protection, but there are still devices out there that can destroy that tank, and he would not be able to do his job, because his job is not to rumble around the city inside of a tank.

So you've got to find the right balance between force protection and the mission that needs to be done.

-ends-



Ultimately, the Pentagon could buy over 15,000 Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected Vehicles (MRAP) like this Cougar used by the US Marines in Iraq. (DoD photo)

Folks,

For more info, go to the following link at ArmyReconn to see numerous photos (including those in the Iraqi Army)) and details on the armored vehicle that the Marines in Iraq have it would seem nothing bad to say about and everything good to say about.

Jack E. Hammond

http://www.armyrecognition.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=907

Thanks for the link.


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...[related]...



Army Seeks $20B for MRAPs

USA Today | May 18, 2007
source link

WASHINGTON - The Army has asked Defense Secretary Robert Gates to approve spending almost $20 billion for new armored vehicles, a week after Gates called deploying the vehicles the military's top hardware priority.

Acting Army Secretary Pete Geren asked Gates for as many as 17,770 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs), according to a memo dated May 15 and obtained by USA TODAY. The vehicles would be shipped to Iraq after production, reaching the goal in July 2009, according to Geren's memo.

Combined with orders by other services, the total cost of the new vehicles through July 2009 will be almost $25 billion, Pentagon records show. The Marines and Navy want 3,500 MRAPs, while the Air Force and special operations units are seeking another 1,000.

However, there may not be enough material and production capacity to field the MRAPs quickly, according to the memo and Pentagon officials.

No single company can provide more than 1,200 of the vehicles per month, which is the Marines' production goal, said Chris Isleib, a Pentagon spokesman.

Adequate supplies of steel for armor and rubber for tires are also concerns, Isleib said.

Loren Thompson, a military analyst at the Lexington Institute, criticized the Pentagon for moving too slowly on the MRAP program.

"By the time we field all the vehicles we could be on our way out of Iraq," Thompson said.

Oversight Council Checks Out Mine-Resistant Vehicles

(Source: US Department of Defense; issued May 21, 2007)

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. --- Senior military and civilian leaders from the Joint Requirements Oversight Council got an up-close look at Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle capabilities during a visit here yesterday.

The group was led by Navy Adm. Edmund P. Giambastiani, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and head of the JROC, and included senior military officers and civilians from the Defense Department and all four services. Other attendees included Navy Adm. Patrick M. Walsh, vice chief of naval operations; Air Force Gen. John D.W. Corley, Air Force vice chief of staff; and Tina W. Jonas, the Defense Department’s comptroller.

While at Aberdeen, the group saw a dozen versions of the vehicle from different contractors. The MRAP has a raised, V-shaped underbelly that deflects the force of improvised explosive devices and other blasts from below. It’s expected to reduce casualties from mines, improvised explosive devices and rocket-propelled grenades.

“MRAP vehicles have saved lives in Iraq and will continue to save lives,” said Giambastiani. “It is the best vehicle protection we have to date.”

Another attendee said getting the vehicles to troops quickly is a high priority.

"We have an urgent and compelling need for these vehicles,” said Delores Etter, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. “It is our civic duty and our responsibility to get these vehicles to our deployed servicemembers as soon as we possibly can."

After test-driving the vehicles, the group traveled to a range to watch an explosive test on one of the MRAP vehicles. According to members of the JROC, the visit confirmed the urgent need to get MRAP vehicles to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The MRAP is the JROC’s highest priority acquisition program, and it is a notable improvement over the armored vehicles currently in use,” Giambastiani said. “The design and armor provides greater protection and increases survivability.”

But while the vehicles may increase troop protection, the admiral cautioned they are not an end-all solution. “No vehicle, whatever its armor, is invulnerable,” he added. “It is inevitable that we will lose some of these in the course of combat. We also expect the enemy to make an all-out effort to disable or destroy an MRAP.”

However, the testing is a critical part of providing the best possible solution for troops. “I am so impressed with the hard work and dedication of the testing team here at Aberdeen,” said Etter. “They are working seven days a week to put these vehicles through a rigorous cycle of tests so we can better determine which vehicles will be selected for further production.”

-ends-

What gets me is the one comment on the other website.

"The military in South Africa and Rhodesia have been using these vehicles for the past 30 years, steadily improving the technology."


Secondly, does these vehicles 'compete' with the Army Stryker?

quote:

Secondly, does these vehicles 'compete' with the Army Stryker?

No...believe it or not, its actually intended more as a Hmmwv replacement within unpacified urban environments.

...[related]...


US Marines Order Another 1,200 MRAP Mine-Resistant Vehicles for $623M

(Source: US Department of Defense; issued May 31, 2007)

International Military and Government LLC (IMG), Warrenville, Ill., is being awarded $623,073,400 for delivery order #0002 under previously awarded firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-07-D-5032) for 1,200 additional Category I (CAT I) Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) vehicles.

The CAT I is an MRAP vehicle provided for the Marine Corp and other Joint Forces that is needed in convoy operations. The MRAP vehicles are required to increase survivability and mobility of troops operating in a hazardous fire area against known threats such as small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades, and improvised explosive devices.

Work will be performed in West Point, Miss., and work is expected to be completed by February 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $623,073,400 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured.

The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity. (ends)


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Developed in conjunction with Israel’s Plasan Sasa, IMG’s MaxxPro is one of several types of mine-resistant vehicles being bought by the Pentagon. (Navistar photo)

(Source: Navistar International Corporation; issued May 31, 2007)

WARRENVILLE, Ill. --- Navistar International Corporation announced today that its military subsidiary, International Military and Government, LLC, has been awarded a $623 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corps to provide 1,200 Category I Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to be delivered by the end of February 2008.

The vehicle is called the International MaxxPro and recent estimates value the total military MRAP procurement at more than $8 billion and in excess of 7,700 units.

"The opportunity to provide U.S. Armed Forces with protected vehicles is a great privilege," said Daniel C. Ustian, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Navistar International Corporation. "A U.S. military vehicle order of this magnitude re-establishes Navistar as a prime supplier of tactical wheeled vehicles under the International brand. Our employees at U.S. plants nationwide will take pride in providing these military vehicles to help protect our forces overseas. The award fits with our strategy of leveraging our existing assets to achieve growth in markets outside of our traditional core businesses. We remain committed to investing in products that give us a sustainable competitive advantage at all points of the truck cycle and increasing our volume to give us better scale."

International delivered four units to the Marine Corps in March 2007 for extensive testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds to evaluate crew survivability and performance. The MaxxPro powered by an International MaxxForce turbocharged diesel engine was designed around the following:

- Crew survivability. International's MaxxPro features unique and advanced armoring and design technology to protect occupants on the battlefield from today's threats.

- Mission accomplishment. International designed the MaxxPro vehicle with protection, versatility and reliability in mind.

- Capability for immediate high rate of production. As one of the largest commercial truck and engine manufacturers, International has a dedicated integration facility for military vehicle production and is able to rapidly ramp up production to meet the military's desired levels.

- Ease of service and superior life cycle value. It is vital for U.S. forces on the battlefield to get vehicles maintained and returned to action as quickly as possible. Internationals MRAP vehicles were designed with operational readiness in mind. Commonality and utilization of readily available and well proven truck components helps reduce the logistical footprint for parts and service which maximizes uptime.

With vehicles needed urgently on the battlefield, International's proven production capabilities and exemplary performance for delivering quality products on time will be a key consideration by the U.S. Military for any future procurements against the contract.

"We are proud to be supplying MRAP vehicles to the Department of Defense," said Archie Massicotte, President of International Military and Government, LLC. "We understand the urgency of delivering these 1,200 units and welcome the opportunity to demonstrate our production capabilities for producing high-quality, lifesaving units to an aggressive timetable."

International utilizes a modular concept, developed in conjunction with armor solutions provider Plasan Sasa, to armor its MaxxPro vehicles. The design positions the v-shaped crew compartment on top of International's proven heavy-duty truck chassis