The Air Force recently shipped the first batch of lightweight, blast-proof trucks customized for service in Afghanistan, and more are on the way. But lots of heavier Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles are already in the field, and the military plans to retrofit the trucks with a sturdier suspension so they can better handle Afghanistan’s primitive roads.
Slapping a new suspension on the MRAP, however, is easier said than done. The requirement for an upgrade first emerged last year; by mid-summer, only a handful of the trucks had been retrofitted. Making matters more complicated, the military has ordered trucks from several different original manufacturers.
In a pre-solicitation issued yesterday, the MRAP Joint Program Office said it was looking for technical experts to help evaluate the new suspension prototypes. And as part of the upgrade, the program office said it wanted to put the retrofitted MRAPs through their paces on an off-road course that more closely resembles Afghanistan's mountainous terrain. "This is required as the MRAP's mission will be primarily OEF (Afghanistan) and the suspension system must be measured and assessed across this terrain to understand any deficiencies that may exist prior to fielding the vehicles on this mission profile," the solicitation states.
The MRAP variants being upgraded include the Navistar's MaxxPro Dash, MaxxPro Plus and Super MaxxPro, the BAE Systems RG-31 and Caiman, and Force Protection's Buffalo.
[PHOTO: U.S. Department of Defense]
See Also:
