Inside Defense
Feb. 16, 2010 -- The Defense Department today announced new orders worth close to $1.1 billion for more original Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, fulfilling a directive from Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter.
According to the Pentagon's announcement, the military ordered category I MRAPs from Navistar, worth $751.5 million, though the award does not specify the quantity. The trucks are to include engineering change proposal upgrades for enhanced maneuverability.
"This order will also be used for the procurement of Category I MRAP vehicles which provide protection of U.S. military personnel supporting Operation Enduring Freedom," the announcement says, noting that work is expected to be completed by the end of August.
Additionally, the Pentagon ordered 250 MRAPs -- at a cost of $227.4 million -- from General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada. "The procurement is for 250 MRAP RG-31A2 vehicles and associated engineering change proposal upgrades to include an independent suspension system," the announcement says. Work is expected to be complete by the end of October.
DOD also announced it will buy 58 category I MRAPs from BAE Systems at a price of $90.6 million. The work should be complete by March 2011, the announcement adds. Inside the Army first reported on Feb. 2 that the Pentagon would be buying more than 2,800 MRAPs -- about half of which would be original versions of the blast-proof trucks.
In a Jan. 29 memo, Carter called for the quick purchase of the MRAPs and MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles to meet vehicle needs in Afghanistan. Carter wrote that U.S. Central Command issued a Dec. 24, 2009, request for additional MRAP vehicles in Afghanistan.
But, citing uncertainty about “how many vehicles will ultimately be required,” he added, “it is important to begin production and initial fielding since otherwise needed vehicles will be unnecessarily delayed.”
Consequently, Carter approved an increase in the MRAP low-rate initial production quantity to 25,700. He also allowed immediate orders of 1,460 M-ATVs from Oshkosh and 1,050 MRAP Dash vehicles with independent suspension systems from Navistar. He directed the program office buy 250 RG-31A3 vehicles with ISS from General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada and 58 RG-33s from BAE Systems.
Both Navistar and GDLS-C have already produced MRAPs for Afghanistan, but not in recent months. In late 2008, the Pentagon ordered more than 1,200 of Navistar’s category I MRAP trucks -- which the company calls the MaxxPro Dash -- to send to the country. The company has said the vehicle allows “for greater mobility in a smaller, lighter-weight vehicle optimized for Afghanistan operations.”
Like Navistar, GDLS-C has built many MRAPs sent to Afghanistan and last provided nearly 800 MRAPs under an award made in July 2008. -- Marjorie Censer
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