United States MRAP program


United States MRAP program was created to produce mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles for the country. In 2004, the TSG/FPI Cougar was designed by a British-led U.S. team, to U.S. Marine Corps requirements. It became the springboard from which the MRAP program was launched. Only two "armor quality" steel mills operate in the U.S.: the Russian-owned Oregon Steel Mills and the International Steel Group. The U.S. Department of Defense negotiated to ensure enough steel was available to keep pace with production. The U.S. military's MRAP program was prompted by U.S. casualties from improvised explosive devices s during the Iraq War. The United States Department of Defense MRAP program began in 2007 as a response to the increased threat of IEDs during the Iraq War. From 2007 until 2012, the MRAP program deployed more than 12,000 vehicles in the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan.
Production of the first round of MRAP vehicles officially ended in 2012, followed by the launch of the Oshkosh M-ATV vehicle. In 2015, Oshkosh Corporation was awarded a contract to build the Oshkosh L-ATV as the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, a lighter mine-resistant vehicle to replace the Humvee in combat roles and supplement the M-ATV.
File:Permissions-Errors-Rg-33.jpg|thumb|right|A RG-33 convoy with the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station system installed.
Vehicle designs from various vendors were deployed as part of the MRAP program. MRAPs usually have V-shaped hulls to deflect explosive forces from land mines or IEDs below the vehicle, thereby protecting vehicle and passengers. MRAPs weigh 14 to 18 tons, are up to high, and cost between US$500,000 and US$1,000,000. The MRAP's high center of gravity means it has a tendency to roll over easily. In one study, a majority of MRAP accidents are overturned vehicles.
These companies submitting designs:
The MRAP class is separated into three categories according to weight and size.

Category I (MRAP-MRUV)

The Mine-Resistant Utility Vehicle is relatively small and light, designed for urban operations. These Category 1 MRAP vehicles were ordered or are in service:
The Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicle is designed for missions including convoy lead, troop transport, ambulance, explosive ordnance disposal and combat engineering.
These Category II MRAP vehicles were ordered or are currently in service:
  • Force Protection Cougar HE 6x6 – 950 vehicles ordered.
  • BAE RG-33L 6x6
  • GDLS RG-31E – 600 vehicles ordered.
  • Thales Australia Bushmaster IMV – Removed from competition as of 7 August 2007.
  • Protected Vehicles Inc Golan – 60 vehicles ordered. Later the Golan was eliminated from the competition and all vehicles were discarded.
  • International MaxxPro XL – 16 vehicles ordered.
  • BAE Caiman 6x6 – 16 vehicles ordered.

    Category III

  • Force Protection Buffalo MRV for mine- and IED-clearing functionality, with 6 seats.

    American MRAP Models

MRAP II

On 31 July 2007, the Marine Corps Systems Command launched an MRAP II pre-solicitation to develop a new vehicle with better protection, particularly against such threats as explosively formed penetrators. While the Frag Kit 6 was designed to handle EFPs, the MRAP II competition's purpose was to find a vehicle that did not need the upgrade kit. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory worked to ensure the technologies used in Frag Kit 6 would be available to MRAP II designers. The 2007 solicitation asked for greater flexibility.
Initial testing at Aberdeen Proving Grounds disqualified Force Dynamics, GDLS Canada, Navistar subsidiary IMG, Textron's upgraded M1117, and Protected Vehicles, Inc's upgraded Golan vehicle. Blackwater USA was later disqualified due to limited forward armor.
The two qualified designs were an upgraded Caiman designed by Armor Holdings, and the Bull, a combined effort between Ideal Innovations Inc, Ceradyne and Oshkosh. Both designs weighed 40,000 lb or more.
According to the Army Times, the Pentagon had already decided to buy first-generation 14- to 24-ton MRAP I vehicles with extra Frag Kit 6-derived armor, not the 30-ton MRAP II vehicles. The paper also reported that, in addition, the Pentagon might buy some shorter, lighter MRAPs. A senior Pentagon official told them that "the roads are caving in" under the weight of MRAPs and "We want it to weigh less".

Survivable Combat Tactical Vehicle

In 2010 Textron presented the Survivable Combat Tactical Vehicle, a protective capsule that can increase Humvee survivability to MRAP levels while significantly improving mobility. SCTV consisted of five kits; all five need to be installed before the vehicle can be properly called an SCTV. The vehicle features a monocoque V-shaped hull and angled sides to help deflect rocket-propelled grenades with scalable levels of protection. It has greater engine power, replacing the 6.5 liter diesel engine with a Cummins 6.7 liter diesel and Allison 6-speed transmission, as well as stronger suspension, improved brakes, higher ground clearance, and many other modifications.

Joint Light Tactical Vehicle

Vehicles built as part of the MRAP program are often criticized for their bulk. The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is designed to provide the same protection as an MRAP vehicle with lower weight and greater maneuverability.
In 2015, Oshkosh was awarded a contract to produce up to 49,100 vehicles for the US Army and Marine Corps based on its successful MRAP ATV.

Vehicle production

In 2004, the United States Marine Corps reported that no troops had died in more than 300 IED attacks on Cougar vehicles. In 2007, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates decided to increase MRAP vehicle orders. On 8 May 2007, Gates announced that acquisition of MRAPs was the Department of Defense's highest priority for fiscal year 2007; $1.1 billion was earmarked. A 2008 GAO report found that Marine combat planners had delayed "an urgent request in 2005 for 1,169 MRAPs", primarily because then-commandant General Michael Hagee wanted to preserve funding for up-armoring Humvees, believing they were the quickest way to protect Marines from roadside bomb threats.
In late 2007, the Marine Corps planned to replace all Humvees in combat zones with MRAP vehicles, although that changed. As armored vehicles were considered an urgent need in Afghanistan, the MRAP program was primarily funded under an "emergency war budget".
Originally, Brigadier General Michael Brogan was in charge of the Marine MRAP program; he was succeeded by Brigadier General Frank Kelley, Commander, United States Marine Corps Systems Command. The Army MRAP program was managed by Kevin Fahey, U.S. Army Program Executive Officer for Combat Support and Combat Service Support.

2007

In 2007, the Pentagon ordered about 10,000 MRAPs at a cost of over $500,000 each, and planned to order more.
ServiceSupplierVehicle QuantityContract price
$M
MarinesFPICougar H, Cougar HE
MarinesFPICougar H, Cougar HE
MarinesBAERG-33, BAE RG-33L
MarinesFPICougar H , Cougar HE
MarinesInternationalMaxxPro
MarinesFPIBuffalo
Marines, ArmyFPICougar,
Marines, ArmyInternationalMaxxPro XL
SOCBAE SystemsRG-33 , RG-33L, RG-33, RG-33L
MarinesStewart & Stevenson ,
InternationalMaxxPro
General Dynamics Land Systems CanadaRG-31
MarinesFPICougar H,, Cougar HE
PentagonInternational
PentagonFPI
PentagonBAERG-33L standard, ambulance
SOCBAERG33 Mod 5
NavistarMaxxPro
BAE
Armor Holdings,
PFICougar

2008

On 14 March 2008, the U.S. military ordered 1,024 Caimans from BAE, 743 MaxxPros from Navistar, and special command vehicles and ambulances from BAE. On 17 July 2007, the U.S. Marine Corps System Command ordered 773 RG31 MRAPs from General Dynamics Land Systems Canada for delivery by April 2009.
On 19 June 2007 the U.S. Army ordered an additional 44 BAE RG-31 Mk 5 vehicles and an additional 369 M1117 ASVs.
The MRAP Armor Weight Reduction Spiral Program reduced weight by 40 percent, and was fielded on more than 10,000 MRAP vehicles in 2008. The program was led by the Army Research Laboratory.
Forecasting the need for better and lighter protection from IEDs, ARL developed aggressive weight-reduction goals and set out to demonstrate practical technology options by the end of the 2008 financial year.
The program's technical approach was to exploit computing and terminal-effects experimentation to scale known technologies, understand the most viable armor mechanisms for penetrator defeat, and to introduce light-weight composites, new materials, and enhanced ballistic mechanisms to reduce weight.
The ARL's MAWRS program was recognized by U.S. Army Materiel Command as among the "Top Ten Great Inventions of 2008."