Soldiers Field-Test New Products

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Soldiers Field-Test New Products
January 07, 2009
Army News Service|by SSgt. Michel Sauret

BAGHDAD - Operation Iraqi Freedom is helping create a whole new way of fielding force protection products beginning with the mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle which has saved lives and greatly reduced combat injuries to Soldiers on patrol.

"We're getting the fielded pieces out to the Soldiers immediately. When roadside bomb attacks were on the rise in Iraq, Soldiers found themselves in need of vehicles that could resist the threat," said Lt. Col. Steven Brewer, force integration officer for Multi-National Division Center.

"We are doing stuff going immediately from concept to implementation in less than a year out here, so we are taking a lot of short cuts and doing a lot of pieces after the fact. Then, we just keep improving it and testing it.

Because of the rushed need for the MRAP, four companies were manufacturing them. Additionally, six of 12 models passed the initial testing with the Army eventually choosing four. Since the first four models, there have been three generations of improvements, essentially creating 12 versions of the vehicle. A simulated MRAP roll-over trainer, similar to the Humvee egress assistance trainer currently being used by service members, is also in development.

"The MRAP fielding will probably go down as the granddaddy of all fieldings," said Brewer. "We are completing the final MRAP fieldings in January, which consist of the explosively formed projectile (EFP) protected version of the vehicle."


Rest of article about these $1 million dollar wonders at: http://www.military.com/news/article/army-news/soldiers-fieldtest-new-products.html