Baby MRAP: New Mine Resistant Vehicles Arrive in Afghanistan

The first mine resistant "all terrain" vehicles, known as M-ATVs or Baby MRAP's, recently arrived in Afghanistan according to DVIDS. The M-ATVs are used to transport soldiers and are specifically made to counter IED threats and off road travel in Afghanistan.

"This is a very different environment than Iraq, so as we came in and continued to fight the fight in Afghanistan, we realized it requires a little bit different equipment or modification than what we have," said Army Lt. Col. Richard Haggerty, the Regional Command-South deputy director for Acquisitions, Logistics and Technology.

The mine resistant vehicles that worked well in Iraq, MRAP's or mine resistant ambush protected vehicles, have not been able to handle the harsh environment of Afghanistan. The road system in Afghanistan is much less advanced than Iraq and transport vehicles require off-road capabilities. The hope is that these M-ATV's can meet the need of countering roadside bombs and traveling off-road in Afghanistan.

After months of government testing, the Department of Defense awarded a contract June 2009, to Oshkosh Corporation to supply an initial order valued at $1.05 billion for more than 2,000 M-ATVs. The M-ATV has acquired the name of "Baby MRAP" for its lightweight in comparison to the MRAP. The weight of an M-ATV is approximately 25,000 pounds compared to the 60,000-pound MRAP. The idea is to have a more mobile and lighter vehicle that still provides maximum IED protection. The cost of a Baby MRAP, $500,000, is only half of the $1 million standard MRAP model.

"It looks like a modified, huge, heavy-duty Jeep," said Anthony Deluca, the Kandahar site lead for the MRAP program. "It's got very good suspension systems, and everyone raves about how well it functions in the field."

This first shipment of Baby MRAP's arrived by air at Kandahar Airfield. With Afghanistan being a land-locked nation, the logistics of shipping equipment to that theater of operations is complex. Most high priority or sensitive cargo such as Baby MRAP's are sent by air. However, much of the cargo is sent by sealift to the port of Karachi, Pakistan and then sent by truck to Afghanistan.

To lower the cost of shipment and reduce airlift missions, some cargo sent to Afghanistan is trans-shipped. This method includes sending by sealift to a close location such as Kuwait or the UAE and then it is converted into containers. The containers are then shipped by air into Afghanistan.

The DOD aimed to field Baby MRAP's by the end of the 2009 calendar year and has far surpassed that goal.

Sources:

DVIDS, "New M-ATV Arrives in Southern Afghanistan" Army Spc. Elisebet Freeberg

www.oshkoskdefense.com