thedrifter
10-03-08, 04:29 AM
Marines reassess equipment needs for Afghanistan
Thursday October 2, 5:13 pm ET
By Donna Borak
Marines call on defense contractors to re-engineer vehicles to maneuver in Afghanistan
QUANTICO, Va. (AP) -- With plans to redeploy more Marines to Afghanistan later this fall, companies like General Dynamics Corp. and Force Protection Inc. are being asked to re-engineer mine-resistant vehicles that can traverse the war-ravaged country's mountainous terrain while offering even greater protection.
High altitudes, dispersed battalions and restricted travel zones are among the serious challenges facing the service as it weighs the resources needed to perform its missions in Afghanistan where violence has escalated, senior Marine Corps officials told defense industry executives at the service's annual expo Thursday.
"The Marines Corps is in good shape, but we've got more to do," said Barry Dillon, executive director of Marine Corps Systems Command. "We've got our challenges."
Already, the top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, has made urgent requests for weapons and equipment, including more unmanned aerial surveillance drones and mine-resistant vehicles for operations. The service currently uses Shadow drones made by AAI Corp., as well as the ScanEagle from Insitu Inc. and Boeing Co.
Besides General Dynamics and Force Protection, other makers of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, or MRAPs, include Navistar International Inc. and the U.S. subsidiary of British defense conglomerate BAE Systems PLC.
Additionally, a new Pentagon task force is expected to speed the delivery of weapons and equipment to Afghanistan beginning early next year.
However, senior Marine Corps officials are concerned the current MRAPS are ill-equipped to handle the rocky terrain in Afghanistan, and are too heavy to easily transport to areas where they are needed.
"It's OK in Iraq, but it's not OK in Afghanistan," said Dillon. "It's got to have off-road capability and all the survivability."
Blasts from roadside bombs are the leading cause of combat deaths and injuries in Iraq and have become a growing threat in Afghanistan, but it's unclear whether the Marine Corps will buy more of the same vehicles, said Dillon. Currently, there are more than 900 MRAPs in Afghanistan, and close to 8,000 in Iraq. To date, the Pentagon has spent $22.4 billion on the program.
Instead, the service hopes to approve a hybrid armored vehicle that would provide the same type of protection as an MRAP, but would be more agile and provide improved maneuverability, Marine Corps officials said.
The service this summer asked companies to submit information for a so-called "MRAP Light" to see how the current vehicle could be changed to meet the latest needs of the Marine Corps.
"We need something with the same degree of protection (as the MRAP) for the men and women in Afghanistan," said Brig. Gen. Ronald Johnson, operational director for the Marine Corps.
Peter Keating, a spokesman for General Dynamics Land Systems, said the Marine Corps will decide whether to pursue entirely new vehicles, or make changes to existing MRAPs, to meet current needs in Afghanistan.
Some adjustments, like lowering or shortening the vehicle to lessen its weight, can be made while still offering the same type of protection, Keating said.
Still, there will be trade-offs if the service reconfigures its existing MRAP inventory, said Winslow Wheeler, an analyst for the Center for Defense Information. The vehicles are built high to compensate for the impact of blasts, but become too top heavy to maneuver well in cities or rough terrain.
"Technology always has compromises when you are trying to solve a warfighting problem," said Wheeler.
Ellie
Thursday October 2, 5:13 pm ET
By Donna Borak
Marines call on defense contractors to re-engineer vehicles to maneuver in Afghanistan
QUANTICO, Va. (AP) -- With plans to redeploy more Marines to Afghanistan later this fall, companies like General Dynamics Corp. and Force Protection Inc. are being asked to re-engineer mine-resistant vehicles that can traverse the war-ravaged country's mountainous terrain while offering even greater protection.
High altitudes, dispersed battalions and restricted travel zones are among the serious challenges facing the service as it weighs the resources needed to perform its missions in Afghanistan where violence has escalated, senior Marine Corps officials told defense industry executives at the service's annual expo Thursday.
"The Marines Corps is in good shape, but we've got more to do," said Barry Dillon, executive director of Marine Corps Systems Command. "We've got our challenges."
Already, the top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David McKiernan, has made urgent requests for weapons and equipment, including more unmanned aerial surveillance drones and mine-resistant vehicles for operations. The service currently uses Shadow drones made by AAI Corp., as well as the ScanEagle from Insitu Inc. and Boeing Co.
Besides General Dynamics and Force Protection, other makers of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, or MRAPs, include Navistar International Inc. and the U.S. subsidiary of British defense conglomerate BAE Systems PLC.
Additionally, a new Pentagon task force is expected to speed the delivery of weapons and equipment to Afghanistan beginning early next year.
However, senior Marine Corps officials are concerned the current MRAPS are ill-equipped to handle the rocky terrain in Afghanistan, and are too heavy to easily transport to areas where they are needed.
"It's OK in Iraq, but it's not OK in Afghanistan," said Dillon. "It's got to have off-road capability and all the survivability."
Blasts from roadside bombs are the leading cause of combat deaths and injuries in Iraq and have become a growing threat in Afghanistan, but it's unclear whether the Marine Corps will buy more of the same vehicles, said Dillon. Currently, there are more than 900 MRAPs in Afghanistan, and close to 8,000 in Iraq. To date, the Pentagon has spent $22.4 billion on the program.
Instead, the service hopes to approve a hybrid armored vehicle that would provide the same type of protection as an MRAP, but would be more agile and provide improved maneuverability, Marine Corps officials said.
The service this summer asked companies to submit information for a so-called "MRAP Light" to see how the current vehicle could be changed to meet the latest needs of the Marine Corps.
"We need something with the same degree of protection (as the MRAP) for the men and women in Afghanistan," said Brig. Gen. Ronald Johnson, operational director for the Marine Corps.
Peter Keating, a spokesman for General Dynamics Land Systems, said the Marine Corps will decide whether to pursue entirely new vehicles, or make changes to existing MRAPs, to meet current needs in Afghanistan.
Some adjustments, like lowering or shortening the vehicle to lessen its weight, can be made while still offering the same type of protection, Keating said.
Still, there will be trade-offs if the service reconfigures its existing MRAP inventory, said Winslow Wheeler, an analyst for the Center for Defense Information. The vehicles are built high to compensate for the impact of blasts, but become too top heavy to maneuver well in cities or rough terrain.
"Technology always has compromises when you are trying to solve a warfighting problem," said Wheeler.
Ellie