MRAP

Overview:

Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles are a family of armored fighting vehicles designed to survive IED attacks and ambushes. IEDs cause the majority (63%) of US deaths in Iraq. There is no common MRAP vehicle design; there are several vendors, each with a competing entry. Brig. General Michael Brogan of the United States Marine Corps is in charge of the MRAP program, for which the Marines are the lead service. The Marine Corps had planned to replace all HMMWVs in combat zones with MRAP vehicles, although this appears to have changed. As armored vehicles are considered an "urgent need" in Iraq and Afghanistan, this program is primarily funded under an "emergency war budget". On 2007-05-08 Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated that the acquisition of MRAPs are the Department of Defense highest priority, so for fiscal year 2007 US$1.1 billion is earmarked for MRAP . Gates decided to ramp up MRAP orders after the Marines reported in 2004 that no troops had died in more than 300 IED attacks on Cougars As of May 6, 2008 eight soldiers had been reported killed in the thousands of MRAPs in Iraq, according to news service Knight Ridder. In June 2008, USA Today reported that roadside bomb attacks and fatalities were down almost 99% partially due to MRAPs. "They've taken hits, many, many hits that would have killed soldiers and Marines in uparmored Humvees," according to Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Maj. General Rick Lynch, who commanded a division in Baghdad, told USA Today the 14-ton MRAPs have forced insurgents to build bigger, more sophisticated bombs to knock out the vehicles. Those bombs take more time and resources to build and set up, which gives U.S. forces a better chance of catching the insurgents in the act and then attacking them. Several criticisms of the MRAP program have been its lack of a common design, which presents a wartime logistical challenge, and the relatively few number of units which have been delivered to Iraq and Afghanistan, despite large orders. However, some analysts see the diversity of MRAP vehicles as an advantage. Other criticisms include the vehicle's weight and size, which severely limit its mobility off main roads, in urban areas, and over bridges. 72 percent of the world's bridges cannot hold the MRAP. Its heft also restricts several of the vehicles from being transported by C-130 cargo aircraft or the amphibious ships that carry Marine equipment and supplies. Although three MRAP vehicles will fit in a C-17 aircraft, airlifting is extremely expensive at $750,000 per vehicle, estimated by the U.S. Transportation Command. In an effort to rush more vehicles to the theatre, the US Air Force even contracted several Russian Antonov An-124 heavy cargo aircraft, which became a familiar sight in the skies above cities such as Charleston, SC where some MRAPs are produced. For comparison, sealifting costs around $13,000 per vehicle, but takes between three and four weeks for the vehicle to arrive in theater. For these reasons, in December 2007, the Marine Corps reduced its request from 3700 vehicles to 2300. The Army is also reassessing its MRAP requirements in Iraq although there is no sign that they intend to reduce the number of vehicles it intends to procure. Additional vehicles may be sent to Afghanistan where commanders are requesting them. This program is very similar to the US Army's Medium Mine Protected Vehicle program. MRAP vehicles usually have "V" shaped hulls to deflect away any explosive forces originating below the vehicle, thereby protecting the vehicle and its passenger compartment. Typically these explosions are from land mines, but they can also be IEDs. This design dates to the 1970s when it was first introduced in 1978 with the South African Buffel (Buffalo) armored personnel carrier (APC), another South African APC the Casspir was the inspiration and prototype for the US Marines MRAP project. Derivatives of these vehicles have since been used by various military forces around the world. Multiple contracts have been placed by the United States for this type of vehicle in response to the situation in the Iraq War. By issuing contracts to several companies, the Marine Corps hopes to accelerate the rate of production, in order to expedite the delivery of vehicles to deployed forces. However, there are only two steel mills in the United States, Oregon Steel Mills, Inc. and International Steel Group, qualified to produce armored steel for the Defense Department, which has been in negotiations to ensure enough steel is available to keep pace with production. The concept is to replace HMMWV type vehicles with a more robust, survivable vehicle when on patrol "outside the wire."

Specifications:

Type

• Armored Vehicle.

Used By

• United States.
• United Kingdom.
• Canada.
• Iraq.
• Italy.
• Poland.
• Hungary.

In Service

• 2002–Present.

Weight

• 14+ tons.

Manufacturer

• Force Protection Industries.

Unit Cost

• $475,000

Produced

• 2002

Variants

• Cougar HE.

Crew

• 2+4

Armor

• Classified.

Primary Armament

• Optional remote weapon station (Common Remotely Operated Weapon System II).

Secondary Armament

• Optional firing ports.

Engine

• Caterpillar C-7 Diesel.
• 243 KW (330 HP).

Payload Capacity

• 2.72 t (6,000 lb).

Transmission

• Allison 3500SP.

Suspension

• 4×4 wheeled.

Ground Clearance

• 410 mm (15 in).

Operational Range

• 966 km (600 mi).

Speed

• 105 km/h (65 mph).