A host of Army firsts in ’07

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Pfc. Peter Medina sits high in the turret of a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle during a training course at Camp Liberty in western Baghdad. MRAP plans ballooned after Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Pentagon leaders in May to make them the No. 1 acquisition priority. Orders for 8,000 MRAPs went to contractors in South Carolina, Illinois, Texas and the U.K.


A host of Army firsts in ’07
By Kris Osborn - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 5, 2008 6:50:10 EST

In 2007, the Army lobbed artillery shells guided by the Global Positioning System in combat, tested various Future Combat Systems technologies, and expanded and then slightly shrank its Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle program.

MRAP plans ballooned after Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Pentagon leaders in May to make the tough vehicles the No. 1 acquisition priority.

The Joint Requirement Oversight Council authorized the purchase of 15,374 MRAPs by 2010, including about 10,000 for the Army, and industry rushed to join what some called the biggest crash program since World War II. Orders for roughly 8,000 MRAPs went to South Carolina-based Force Protection, Illinois-based Navistar International, Texas-based Armor Holdings and U.K.-based BAE Systems.

But by year’s end, Army and Marine Corps enthusiasm had dimmed slightly; the 14- to 24-ton behemoths were having trouble maneuvering in cities and off roads.

Still, the experience helped shape the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, the next-generation Humvee replacement. Army and industry researchers launched experiments into lightweight ceramic armor composites, V-shaped hull designs and active protection systems. In December, Pentagon leaders decided to launch the prototyping a few months earlier than planned.


Rest of this breathless proclamation at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/army_firsts_080105/