About the MRAP Program and Modern mine protected patrol vehicles Background ….

The 2003 invasion of Iraq by the US & UK Coalition saw to the removal of Saddams Army and Police Forces, which led to a breakdown of law and order in the country. Iraqi citizens went on the rampage in euphoria, looting businesses and eventually sectarian violence broke out. Coalition troops found their roles switched to that of a security force, patrolling the streets in order to restore law and order to such a time that a new Iraqi police force could be trained. This would take some years.

These years are sometimes referred to as the occupation of Iraq (but as of 2010 is also called the 2003 to 2010 Iraqi War) and as such an insurgency against Coalition forces of Iraqi & foreign ‘fighters’ targeted the patrols with the some 600,000 tons of conventional munitions that were looted from former Iraqi Army storage facilities.

They would use either land mines or cannibalise these to form larger road side bomb’s known as Improvised Explosive Devices AKA IED’s. These would be laid at road sides and detonated when the lighter skinned wheeled patrol vehicles (such as Land Rovers and HMMWV AKA Humvee) passed by and had a devastating effect, normally destroying the vehicle and killing the occupants.

A French study showed that from March 2003 to November 2006, that of the 3070 deaths of Coalition troops, 1257 of deaths were caused by IED’s, with some US Media claiming an even higher number.

Two steps back ….

South Africa had been fighting in the Angolan Bush War AKA the South African Border War, from the mid 1960’s to the late 1980’s. It saw the apposing belligerents backed up by the Former USSR and Cuba. The war saw the banning of exporting of military supplies (including AFV’s) to South Africa under “United Nations Security Council Resolution 418”.

This lead to the indigenous development and production of mine resistant wheeled patrol vehicles, that provided better protection for the embarked troops, increased mobility over tracked vehicles and proved easier to replace the wheels after driving over a mine, than that of a track. These vehicles could cover greater distances at a higher speed and proved better suited for long over night patrols.

Four steps forward ….

A small struggling US Firm had secured the base designs of the mine protected patrol vehicles from the South African Government and had gone on to develop a prototype of a mine-resistant vehicle called Buffalo and attempted to build a smaller vehicle called the Cougar. After new investors and protection specialists were brought on board, the company was renamed forceprotection and it received its first orders in 2004 for the USMC for both vehicles. The USMC reported in 2004 that no marines had died in more than 300 IED attacks on Cougars.

Active mine protected patrol vehicle programs

USMC – MRAP

MRAP is not the name of one particular vehicle ie the Cougar, but rather a term used by the USMC for a program to purchase vehicles that are “Mine Resistant Ambush Protected” which are to replace the Humvee.

US Army – MMPV

The Medium Mine Protected Vehicle is the term used by the Army for their program to purchase the same vehicles as the Marines. According to a US Army spokesperson: “What separates these programs are different schedules and sustainment requirements, resulting in different acquisition strategies and source selection criteria priorities. The MMPV… (Program of Record with emphasis on sustainment) and MRAP (emphasis on urgent fielding) have been in close coordination, especially from a hardware perspective.”

MMPV’s will be used to support emerging Future Engineer Force (FEF) Clearance Companies in route and area clearance operations, Explosive Hazards Teams in explosive hazards reconnaissance operations, and EOD companies in Explosive Ordnance Disposal operations.

British Army – Protected Patrol Vehicles

The UK has been purchasing various mine resistant vehicles from Italy, the UK and US. Vehicles from the US have been modified in the UK to meet British Army requirements for operations in Afghanistan.

International tenders

Due to the success of the Cougar, forceprotection, despite best efforts and a continued growth have been unable to fulfil the US requirement for a minimum of 10,000 mine protected patrol vehicles required for Iraq and Afghanistan.

Instead, orders for mine protected patrol vehicles have been spread amongst other companies (AKA Divisions) already owned or purchased by British Firm BAE Systems, since orders were placed. BAE is one of the largest military equipment supplies on the planet and is now dominating the mine protected patrol vehicle market. Vehicles have also been purchased from Israel.

Vehicle Categories

Mine protected patrol vehicles are broken down in to 3 categories of vehicles, each with varying roles and levels of protection.

Category 1 – MRUV

Mine Resistant Utility Vehicle is smaller and lighter, designed for urban operations.

Category 2 – JERRV

The Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Rapid Response Vehicle (JERRV) is designed for missions including convoy lead, troop transport, ambulance, explosive ordnance disposal and combat engineering.

Category 3

Force Protection Buffalo MRV, Dedicated mine/IED clearing function and seating to carry 6 personnel.