The military credits its new crop of hulking armored vehicles with saving hundreds of soldiers' skins. But these Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) behemoths come with all kinds of problems, as well. They're too bulky to drive through Iraqi alleyways and Afghan trails. And they're prone to roll-overs. So the Army and Marines are looking for a next-gen MRAP, that combines the "agility, maneuverability and mobility" of a Humvee, with the protection of the brawny new vehicles.
Such a vehicle should not only be able to stop militants' most advanced bombs and rocket-propelled grenades, the services noted in a request for information, issued late last week. It should also to climb a "60% forward slope," beat a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour, and be able to "maneuver off-road and on narrow roads in rural mountainous terrain and desert sand."
The 10-ton vehicle must be transportable on a C-130 cargo plane. It should have a minimum range of 300 miles, and a turning diameter of 49 feet, And the crew has to be able to get out quickly, in case of a rollover. ("Of the 38 MRAP accidents between Nov. 7 and June 8, only four did not involve a roll-over," Army Times noted.)
Naturally, all of these new features would make the MRAP-lite "more expensive" than the current crop. And it "raise[s] questions about the future of the
Joint Light Tactical Vehicle" program, Inside the Army notes. That project is designed to come up with a replacement for the Humvee. But it sounds like this program could wind up doing the same, if it moves ahead.
[Photo: Picasa]
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