Funding Delays of MRAP: Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles

Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, or MRAPs for short, have become a topic of great concern over the last several months. They have been profiled on news stations, written about in newspapers, and discussed to death by Congress and presidential hopefuls. Ironically, this may be the one area that Democrats and Republicans can actually agree. We NEED to protect out troops. What we are hearing is that the government wants these vehicles as fast as they can get them. But while that sounds like a great plan, it has yet to be executed. Instead, the whole MRAP project seems to be caught up in bureaucratic red tape.

Currently in Iraq, the MRAPs serving our troops are Buffalos and Cougars, built by Ladson, South Carolina based Force Protection. These vehicles have proven themselves in the battlefield and have demonstrated time and again how they do indeed save lives. The military couldn't be happier with them. In fact, they have been asking for more since 2005. But these requests were met with "lack of funds", and our troops have been doing without, many losing their lives to IEDs and roadside bombs when they could have, should have, been protected.

Finally, in 2007, with elections a year away, the idea has gained popularity and bills are being passed to fund this much needed protection for our men and women at war. It seems as though there may be an end in sight...but not so fast. Who is going to build these vehicles? Can they get them fast enough? These are all questions that have been raised, excuses that are being made. Force Protection earlier this year stated that they could produce 1200 more vehicles by 2008 if they could receive an order by July 1st. No order has been given.

Instead, the Government has decided to open up the market for competition, to let others compete against the proven model to get the government contracts. Some companies that submitted their prototype have failed testing, and have been given extensions to improve their vehicles, wasting time, and costing lives. To further the confusion, contracts have been awarded to companies under investigation for funneling money to a Saudi prince in order to win a weapons deal with the British. And another contract was awarded, after suspected pressure was placed on the department by a Senator, to a company having financial difficulties. The latter company has not even hired people to begin building their vehicle!

And in the meantime, there is Force Protection, a small entity, with little or no political clout and only the ability to produce vehicles that have been proven in battle...waiting on their contract. Will the government decide to do the right thing and award this small company more contracts? Or will they cave to political hand-greasing and allow companies without a proven track record to attempt to protect our fellow Americans?

In spite of this, the small company has decided to go ahead and produce the vehicles, embracing the adage "if you build it, they will come". I applaud this company for taking the initiative, in spite of the Department of Defense's procrastination. Theirs is a product that is much needed. It is proven to help our troops. And if, or when, these other companies fail to deliver, their trucks will be waiting.