From the ArcaMax Publishing, News & Features Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/newsheadlines/s-642874-856557
WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The U.S. military says it is rushing its new M-ATV
blast resistant vehicles to Afghanistan to protect its troops from
weapons including roadside bombs.
The Pentagon said the vehicle, with a base price of $437,000 and
reduced weight of 25,000 pounds, has independent suspension and a
better turning radius, CNN reported. The MRAP-All Terrain Vehicle will
have more power and give the troops more maneuverability in
Afghanistan's difficult terrain and tight spaces, the report said.
Taliban violence in Afghanistan has escalated sharply, taking a
heavier toll of U.S. troops, mostly from more sophisticated roadside
bombs. Almost half of the 59 U.S. soldiers killed In October were
victims of roadside bombs.
The military has been using the bulkier 40,000-pound Mine Resistant
Ambush Protected vehicles in Afghanistan but the country's mountainous
terrain has made MRAPs less effective than in Iraq where there are
more paved roads and open areas, the report said. The Pentagon
developed the M-ATV on a priority basis for use in Afghanistan, the
report said.
"It will be a life-saver in Afghanistan," Ashton B. Carter, under
secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told
CNN.
There are 41 M-ATVs in Afghanistan but the Pentagon plans to have
5,000 more by March, the report said. The vehicles are made by
Oshkosh Corp. in Wisconsin.
Pentagon officials said with all the combat equipment installed, the
price tag of an M-ATV will go up from a base of $437,000 to more than
$1 million.