Pentagon touts new, lighter vehicle for Afghanistan

[sexyloser1128]

WASHINGTON (AFP) – The Pentagon on Monday showed off a new, lighter armored vehicle built for the rugged roads of Afghanistan, saying it was rushing to ship the "life-savers" to US troops.
The all-terrain vehicles were commissioned after US military commanders found that mine-resistant M-RAPs designed for Iraq were too big and cumbersome for Afghanistan.
"The terrain in Afghanistan is different from Iraq. It's more uneven, the roads are difficult to traverse. That's why we've had to create an all-terrain version," Ashton Carter, under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told reporters.
Standing next to one of the new M-ATVs in front of the Pentagon building, Carter said flying the vehicles to Afghanistan was an urgent priority to help troops facing the lethal threat of homemade bombs.
"It will be a life-saver in Afghanistan," Carter said.
The effort to produce the new vehicles had moved with unusual speed compared to previous defense programs that have often been plagued by delays, he said.
US commanders in the region issued an urgent request less than a year ago, the contract was awarded to Wisconsin-based Oshkosh Corporation in June, and the first vehicles were delivered to Afghanistan in September.
"This vehicle was built on a very fast track," Carter said.
Officials said 41 of the new vehicles had arrived in Afghanistan so far, and the Pentagon planned to have about 5,000 in place by March 2010.
While the standard armored M-RAP for Iraq weighed in at 40,000 pounds (18,143 kilograms), the new M-ATV is about 25,000 pounds and has an independent suspension that makes it more agile on unpaved dirt tracks, said Dave Hansen, deputy program manager.
The vehicle, which costs about 1.4 million dollars each and can carry a five-member team including a gunner, handles better than the heavier M-RAP and "drives like an SUV," he said.
Although lighter, the new vehicle provides the same protection against homemade bombs as the standard M-RAP in Iraq, officials said.
Homemade bombs are the number one cause of casualties in Afghanistan, claiming the lives of 236 soldiers in the NATO-led mission between January and September, according to the Pentagon.
Until the M-RAPs were produced, former president George W. Bush's administration was accused of failing to sufficiently equip troops in Iraq against roadside bombs.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091102...20091102202331

Here is more information on the vehicle.
http://www.military-today.com/apc/oshkosh_matv.htm


Getting MRAPS or M-ATVs to the troops is a smart decision and one I support. Secretary of Defense Gates has a better grasp of what is needed to win than Rumsfeld ever had.

[jklv]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpbmzAJlV-c

[Soldat_Américain]

The Osh-Kosh MATVS suck balls, very bad that the Congress did not award the contract to BAE-systems.

[jklv]

Originally Posted by Soldat_Américain

The Osh-Kosh MATVS suck balls, very bad that the Congress did not award the contract to BAE-systems.

Elaborate please.

[Soldat_Américain]

We have an employee for BAE systems on here that lamented the fact about it when they lost the contract. But you take a look and tell me which is cooler and better, I forget who he is but he said theirs was better. The Osh-Kosh vehicle is adapted from a civilian platform rather than being designed from the ground up iirc.

BAE Systems:

Osh-Kosh:

[jklv]

I see, any particular reason of why they lost the contract?

[Soldat_Américain]

Bae Systems is a British Company, although I'm sure the vehicle would be produced stateside.

[MOKA.ROUX]

Originally Posted by Soldat_Américain

The Osh-Kosh MATVS suck balls, very bad that the Congress did not award the contract to BAE-systems.

i agree, totally s**t out of date as soon as it comes in to use!

[SpudmanWP]

Congress does not make the award, the Pentagon does.

[Soldat_Américain]

You should talk to Congress about that.

[SpudmanWP]

Congress may approve a budget, but it is the Pentagon who puts what they want in the budget.

[Marshall_Nord]

Originally Posted by Soldat_Américain

But you take a look and tell me which is cooler and better,

Sounds like a logical comparison.

[Universal_Soldier]

Originally Posted by Soldat_Américain

We have an employee for BAE systems on here that lamented the fact about it when they lost the contract. But you take a look and tell me which is cooler and better, I forget who he is but he said theirs was better. The Osh-Kosh vehicle is adapted from a civilian platform rather than being designed from the ground up iirc.

That's it??? is this the best you can come up with? goose egg. BAE should sue you for damages if they actually think they have a better vehicle

[e6snapper]

You probably should know that vehicles for the military are not bought because they are cool!!! The Osh-Kosh vehicle simply had a higher score on the testing than the other one.

[brainplay]

Originally Posted by jklv

I see, any particular reason of why they lost the contract?

Price. As of late the military lost IQ along the way and decided to forego most other bidding aspects and focus on price only. Capability and Standing (financial integrity) have been given a level score regardless if this is true or not. This is happening in all areas as noted with the recent plate carrier contract won by KDH, past equipment purchases from Colt, and non-combat equipment such as tires. Somehow OshKosh has managed to underbid every single company by large amounts. Many are suspecting loans and grants from the home state as there is no way OshKosh can pull a profit with that kind of bid. Recently OK managed to underbid the FMTV project so much that every industry head snapped back. BAE has been producing FMTV's for over a decade, has several certified chassis and interchangeable cabs, and has made several efficiency upgrades including the C7 mandatory replacements. OshKosh will have to R&D their own version from the ground up.

The M-ATV deal was affected by this but in the end OshKosh won and no one is going to protest this. However, as far as it being a better product...its not. Visibility was a large issue. The side windows on the OK M-ATV as you can see are tiny. Other submissions had much larger windows. The door shape is also odd as most other submission had squared doors and much larger to allow for easier dismounting. The BAE version is not shown in the picture. It more like a shrunk down M-RAP but using the same sized windows from the M-RAP to allow for easier material acquisition and transfer.

The picture you see at the top is actually BAE's JLTV vehicle. The M-ATV is a niche vehicle and will be in limited numbers. The JLTV is going to replace the HMMWV. It retains speed, suspension, and offroad power while coming with a light armor package and anti-mine resistance. Upgrading it to a heavier version is much easier than the HMMWV and provide more protection all over. In case of roll over, it also has redundant hydraulic assist arms to help open the heavy armored door. The M-ATV was an emergency rush order while the JLTV will go into production at a slower rate.