Welcome to our visitors from Investor Village and Force Protection. It's nice to have you visit again. Please feel free to look around at our other articles. We've had quite a few posts on MRAPs. The complete list is at the end of this article.
The Army has ordered some of these vehicles.
In an unusual development in the U.S. Marine Corps-led Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program, the U.S. Army has ordered 44 RG-31 Mk5 Mine Protected Vehicles in a $19.9 million deal with General Dynamics Land Systems — Canada.The RG-31 is one of nine MRAPs being considered by Marine Corps Systems Command (SysCom), the lead on the joint-service effort to procure ambush-protected vehicles for Iraq and Afghanistan. The vehicles are designed with a V-shaped hull to defend against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by deflecting shrapnel and bomb fragments. The Pentagon is hoping to procure more than 23,000 MRAP vehicles for the Marines, Army, Navy and Special Operations forces by 2010.
The RG-31 is based on a BAE design; under the contract between GDLS- Canada and the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management, the Canadian subsidiary of GDLS will manage the procurement while the vehicles are manufactured in South Africa by BAE Land Systems. The vehicles will be delivered by October and November of 2007, according to a GDLS written statement.
U.S. forces have previously ordered 448 RG-31 vehicles, 265 Mk5s for the Army and Special Operations, and 24 Mk5s for the MRAP program.
The RG-31 Mine Protected APC is a 4x4 armoured vehicle with a combat mass of 10 220 / 11 500 kg.The all-steel, welded armour, monocoque hull protects the crew against small arms fire and anti-tank mine detonations.
In standard APC configuration, this air-conditioned vehicle carries a crew of 10 (driver plus 9).
A large rear door and two front doors ensure speedy and easy exit and entrance. With automatic transmission, permanent 4x4 drive and a two speed (high and low) transfer case the RG-31 is easy to drive, both on and off road.
The Marine Corps seems to like them.
A US Marine Corps RG-31 Cougar rests on its front axel after an improvised explosive device detonated under the vehicle near Camp Taqaddum, Iraq, Jan. 6. The IED detonated directly under the vehicle; however, the blast was pushed outward instead of directly straight up due to the vehicle's “V” –shaped undercarriage. Of the five service members in the vehicle, two received concussions and two others received minor burns. (Photo by: Courtesy photo by 8th Engineer Support Battalion)
Articles on MRAPs:
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