Before the Bu$h malAdministration unleashed their publicity campaign to ramp up for the coming war against Iran, the military understood they had a mine problem, and that the HMMVs were unequal to the task. Requirements for a better-protected patrol vehicle were developed in late 2005/early 2006.

The Hampton Roads Daily Press reports that the Marine Corps has decided to abandon the HMMV for transportation and patrol use in Iraq and adapt a stronger vehicle.

WASHINGTON -- Marines in heavily armored Humvees are being killed by powerful roadside bombs at such a rate that the Marine Corps intends to replace all its Humvees in Iraq with specialized blast-resistant armored vehicles, according to senior Marine officers.

The Army will continue to rely primarily on its armored Humvees in Iraq, senior Army officers said yesterday.

The decision to scrap the Marines' Humvees in Iraq, after years of trying to protect their crews by adding armor plate, was made by Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of Marine forces in the Middle East.

It will cost an added $2.8 billion for the V-hull armored vehicles called MRAPs, or Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, that are being delivered in small numbers to Iraq, and it will take years to complete the replacement.

Since the Iraq war began in 2003, more than 700 Marines have been killed in combat action. Almost two-thirds have been killed in HMMVs. There are some MRAPs already in use in Iraq, and experience indicates that troops are four times more likely to survive attacks by IEDs in this sort of vehicle.

The Corps placed four Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contracts in late January for MRAPs for testing purposes.

BAE Systems for four vehicles, two 4x4 and 2 6x6 from their R33 series, for testing. This vehicle has had some success in South Africa.

Force Protection, Inc. and General Dynamics Land Systems have formed a joint venture to offer the Cougar 4x4 and 6x6 armored vehicles.

Textron Marine & Land Systems produces the M-1117 ASV.

Oshkosh Truck Corporation has been contracted to supply two smaller units for urban patrol and two larger vehicles, sized to carry ten occupants.

Protected Vehicles, Inc of South Carolina has partnered with RAFAEL of Israel, which produces the Golan, currently in testing phase in that country.

The urgency of the project might require an off-the-shelf commercially available item, with little immediate concern for refinements. Those might be included in later blocks of the vehicles once After Action Reports are submitted.

The BAE R33 and PVI/RAFAEL Systems vehicles suffer from the NIH syndrome.

Articles on MRAPs:

Mine Resistant Vehicles

17,700 MRAPs

Marine MRAPs Mired in Minutiae

A Minor MRAP Problem

The Super-MRAP

The Cougar MRAP

Baby Huey Needs Feeding

A Strategically Influenced Nation