Military Sealift Command Ships RG-31s to Iraq

The United States Navy reports that one of its chartered ships is picking up armored vehicles in South Africa, specially designed for urban warfare, to help the troops in Iraq.

The vehicles are RG-31s, manufactured by South Africa. They are armored personnel carriers with a special design. The hull has a v shape, so that if an explosion occurs underneath the vehicle, the force of the blast is directed up and out, away from the Marines or Army soldiers inside. The windows are made of blast resistant materials, too, and the vehicle can carry up to ten soldiers at a time. Soldiers can exit via the rear door or the two front doors. The U.S. has contracted for approximately 500 of the vehicles, which are usually quite effective. However, the size of the blast is a factor. Any vehicle can be destroyed with enough explosives.

There are various models and updates of the vehicle, including one with firing positions on top.

The Navy has chartered a unique craft to deliver the RG-31s, the ITB Thunder/Lightning. It is a two component unit, a tug boat dubbed the Thunder, and a barge called the Lightning. The tug can merge with the barge to propel it, or both units can operate separately. Previous shipments of the RG-31 have been done by air. The Thunder/Lightning will enable the Navy to deliver 55 of the vehicles.

The ship, or ships, will be part of the US 6^th Fleet that operates in the area. Military Sealift Command is chartering the ship. MSC is responsible for operating the civilian crewed ships that help to supply the Navy, transport combat troops, and move supplies around the world for the US military. Often MSC prepositions ammunition, vehicles and other equipment in bases around the world, so that if an emergency develops, troops can be flown in and supplies quickly gathered from the forward bases, rather than be shipped all the way from the United States.

This shipment signals that the US recognizes weaknesses in its own vehicles, which were not designed to fight an anti-insurgency war. The Humvee, a great vehicle, is generally not armored, or if it is, the armor is added after the vehicle is manufactured, pretty much as an afterthought. It is vulnerable to explosions underneath because its hull is not v-shaped like the RG-31's, or like the MRAP vehicles that are also being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan to correct these shortfalls.

Navy Charters Ship, USN