First LVSR truck arrives in Afghanistan

[unhappycamper]

The first Logistics Vehicle System Replacement was delivered to deployed Marines in Afghanistan in September, officials said.



First LVSR truck arrives in Afghanistan
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 23, 2009 5:53:19 EDT

The Marine Corps’ next-generation 10-wheel heavy hauler has arrived in Afghanistan, and nearly 100 could be delivered there by the end of the year.

The first Logistics Vehicle System Replacement was delivered to deployed forces from Combat Logistics Regiment 2, of Camp Lejeune, N.C., in September, Marine officials said. The Corps expects to receive 1,592 through a $740.2 million contract signed in June 2006.

The trucks are used to carry everything from supplies to bulldozers, and can haul 22½ tons on highways. The first LVSR was sent to Camp Leatherneck, and the Corps expects to have about 95 in Afghanistan by the end of the year, said Dave Branham, a spokesman with Program Executive Office Land Systems, based at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

The 36-foot trucks will replace existing Logistics Vehicle Systems, fielded in the 1980s. While the older models hauled similar weights, the new trucks will have beefed-up armor, an improved gun turret that rotates using a battery-powered motorized kit and other upgrades.

The LVSR is designed so the front two and back two axles can be steered, reducing the turning radius to 83 feet, said Tom Merckx, director of Marine Corps programs for Oshkosh.


Rest of article at: http://marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/10/marine_lvsr_102209w/



unhappycamper comment: I looked these things up & they appear to be susceptible to IEDs. Since we can't afford to buy C-4 for our guys to blow up IEDs, we'll be having a frantic upgrade program after a few of these things go boom.