Large-scale sea delivery of MRAPs on its way

[unhappycamper]

Large-scale sea delivery of MRAPs on its way
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, December 5, 2007

U.S. military officials have tapped a way to deliver hundreds of warfighting vehicles by sea to Iraq.

Sealift Logistics Command Europe awarded a contract of nearly $1.4 million to America Cargo Transport Corp. to deliver 55 South African RG-31s and other combat equipment to U.S. forces in the Middle East using a unique barge/tug combination called the ITB Thunder/Lightning.

It will take roughly two weeks to sail from South Africa to Kuwait, cutting down on delays associated with airlifting the mine-resistant vehicles into Iraq.

“This is one of the first large- scale sealift deliveries of mine-resistant vehicles and the first time MRAP-like vehicles have been loaded” using assets from the European theater, said Chief Petty Officer Pawel Oscik, cargo operations specialist with Sealift Logistics Command Europe.

The RG-31s have V-shaped hulls and high suspension with much of the same protection as Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, or MRAPs.

The barge part of the ITB Thunder/Lightning provides the “container” for rapid roll-on, roll-off capability of the vehicles, while the tug is the propulsion, Oscik said.


Resat of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50731



uhc comment: We've been airlifting these puppies to Iraq -->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=5882
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=4849