MRAP news

Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles are a certifiable Big Deal^TM these days, and for good reason: they save lives. But, further to this post, they don't come without drawbacks and trade-offs, especially when it comes to reliability, capacity, and weight.

So this news from Jane's is of interest:

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded over USD1 billion in delivery orders for redesigned mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles that are intended to enhance mobility compared with previous models.

Navistar received the largest order with a USD752 million contract to provide 1,050 enhanced International MaxxPro Dash MRAPs for the US Marine Corps (USMC) by the end of August 2010.

In a 16 February statement Navistar said it chose to redesign the Dash's suspension by integrating a DXM independent suspension solution to bolster the vehicle's off-road capability.

Afghanistan's difficult terrain has limited the mobility of some MRAP models, whose weight and straight-axle suspensions are not ideal for the country's terrain.

An 'extensive trade study' led Navistar to the new suspension, which is provided by Hendrickson Truck Suspension Systems and AxleTech International, the statement said.

Gordon Wolverton, Navistar's programme manager for MaxxPro, told Jane's that this design was selected in part because it could be easily retrofitted on existing MaxxPro fleets without cutting or welding.

At the same time General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada received a USD227 million delivery order for 250 RG-31 Mk5E MRAP vehicles and "associated engineering change proposal upgrades to include an independent suspension system", according to a 16 February Pentagon contract announcement.

Although this news deals specifically with U.S. purchases, there are a couple of interesting points from a Canadian perspective.

First, it's nice to see a Canadian plant - GDLS - getting additional business. And the fact that the RG-31, warts and all, is still filling an important niche in the best-equipped military in the world helps vindicate our own purchases, if any such reinforcement was needed for that decision.

But second, I find it interesting that the purchase is to include a suspension system upgrade. One of the knocks against the Nyala has always been its reliability:

“Army records show that at the height of fierce fighting in Afghanistan last summer, more than a quarter of the RG-31 fleet were in the shop with maintenance problems.

The vehicles had a series of electrical and software glitches, many relating to the roof-mounted remote-controlled machine-gun [DID: the Kongsberg Protector M151 RWS, also used on US Stryker vehicles].

Nyala maintenance logs, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, show the vehicles arrived with a series of minor defects.

Records show that between mid-June and mid-July last year, 13 of the 50 Nyalas – some with as few as 550 km on them – were deemed “non-mission capable” by the army.

The ratio has since improved, with only one or two of the current complement of 75 RG-31s down for maintenance at any time.”

All this makes me wonder whether or not the CF is even considering retrofitting its RG-31s with the suspension upgrade our cousins to the south are buying. From what I understand of the design concepts, this is a "bolt-on" solution.

Of course, that would require money. And as far as I can tell, DND isn't going to have much extra for the foreseeable future.