The Latest from Cactus Tactical: Weapons of the War in Afghanistan: Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles, Part I

Weapons of the War in Afghanistan

In the world of war, weapons and technology are ever changing, each war is characterized by the weapons and tactics used to fight it. As new environments and enemies are encountered, the parties to those wars develop new - more effective tactics, technologies, and weapons to counter and defeat their adversaries. The ingenuity seen in war has existed since (and most certainly before) the first wars of recorded history and continue to this very day.

Keeping with that theory, let’s take a look at the weapons that have characterized the wars and conflicts that the United States has been a party to over the course of it’s history. During the course of this series, I aim to breakdown the weapons used in each conflict by their classification, and to which party they were employed by. Having served in combat operations in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, I would like to start our series with the War in Afghanistan.

For our fourteenth installment let's take a look at the most common Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles of the war in Afghanistan. MRAP is an American term for vehicles that are designed specifically to withstand improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. Armored vehicles designed specifically to counter the land mine threat were first used during the Rhodesian Bush War; the technology subsequently matured with the development of the South African-designed Casspir armored fighting vehicle, which inspired the United States MRAP program and was the basis for some of the program's vehicles. From 2007 until 2012, the Pentagon's MRAP program deployed more than 12,000 MRAPs in the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan.

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Part I: The United States

International MaxxPro

The International MaxxPro MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle is an armored fighting vehicle designed by American company Navistar International's subsidiary Navistar Defense along with the Israeli Plasan Sasa, who designed and manufactures the vehicle's armor. The vehicle was designed to take part in the US Military's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle program, led by the US Marine Corps, as well as a similar US Army-led Medium Mine Protected Vehicle program.

MRAPs are categorized as category 1 or category 2, depending on usage and passenger compartment space, and Navistar produces the MaxxPro in both sizes, although the vast majority of those sold have been category 1 MRAPs. The MaxxPro Plus model comes with dual rear wheels for increased load carrying capacity, such as an ambulance or EFP protected variant. The latest model produced is the MaxxPro Dash, which is a smaller and lighter category 1 model. Both the Plus and Dash models use the MaxxForce 10 engine with 375 hp, in place of the DT 530 with 330 hp, used in the original base model produced.

The MaxxPro utilizes a crew capsule with a V-shaped hull, mounted on an International WorkStar 7000 chassis. The V-hull deflects the blast of a land mine or improvised explosive device (IED) away from the vehicle to protect its occupants. Because the chassis is mounted outside the armored crew capsule, there are concerns that it will likely be destroyed in the event of an ambush, leaving the soldiers inside stranded. However, according to Navistar Defense spokesperson Roy Wiley, the MaxxPro "did extremely well during the tests, and we are extremely pleased." This design may prove as effective as the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann ATF Dingo that uses a similar design, one which mounts an armored capsule to a Unimog chassis. This design has survived a 15 lb land mine blast with no injuries.

According to Navistar Defense, the vehicle is designed with operational readiness in mind and utilizes standardized, easily available parts, to ensure rapid repair and maintenance. The armored body is bolted together instead of welded, as in other MRAPs. This facilitates repair in the field and is a contributing factor to Navistar's greater production capacity for the MaxxPro.

In 2010, the Army initiated a development effort to add electronic stability control (ESC), a computerized technology designed to improve vehicle stability, to the MaxxPro. The MaxxPro's high ground clearance provides greater protection from underbody blasts, but also raises its center of gravity, causing rollovers in certain situations. The ESC combines road factors, vehicle data, and driver intent to automatically correct driving to ensure stability during maneuvers. Installation on MaxxPros began in late 2014 and is to be completed by late 2017, with other MRAPs planned to have ESC integrated onto them.

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Cougar

The Cougar is an MRAP and infantry mobility vehicle structured to be resistant to landmines and improvised munitions.

It is a family of armored vehicles produced by Force Protection Inc, which manufactures ballistic and mine-protected vehicles. The vehicles are integrated by Spartan Motors. These vehicles are protected against small arms, land mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) using a combination of design features and materials to protect both the crew and engine compartment against a wide range of attacks. A Monocoque type, V-shaped hull extends to the engine bay and serves to direct the blast away from under the vehicle.

In 2004, the new Cougar was designed by a small British-led team in the US at Force Protection, Inc., in response to an urgent requirement by the US Marine Corps. This was a new design, developed in the US, based on an evolution of vehicle mine-protection technology used by the South African Army and Rhodesian Security Forces since the 1970s. The very first sketches of the new vehicle were made in late March 2004 in response to those initial USMC inquiries. The rapid development and production that followed was based upon the USMC request that the first vehicle be delivered within 6 months of an order - which was subsequently placed in mid-April 2004 for 27 units.

The new design was called Cougar to provide a degree of continuity with the older designs, but had little in common with them. The former vehicles were almost entirely non-compliant with NATO standards for protection, human factors and safety, which made those designs obsolete. The Cougar was effectively a totally new vehicle which incorporated the latest US-made enhancements, a new hull design and structure, as well as built-in growth potential, including dimensions that allowed for the addition of the latest armor and protection systems.

Some 4,000 of these vehicles were fielded under the US military's MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) and other vehicle programs. US Defense secretary Robert Gates demanded that the vehicles be ordered in larger numbers after the Marines reported in 2004 that no troops had died in more than 300 IED attacks on Cougars. Since then, Cougar vehicles have been hit by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) many times in Iraq with few fatalities. Britain chose the Cougar over the RG-31 Nyala for their "Mastiff" APV.

As of December 2011, the Pentagon planned to add the Crows II remote weapon station and the Frag Kit 6 anti-EFP armor.

Official data state, that the Cougar is able to withstand a blast of at least 30 lbs TNT under a wheel and 15 lbs TNT under a belly.

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Oshkosh M-ATV

The Oshkosh M-ATV is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle developed by the Oshkosh Corporation of Oshkosh, Wisconsin for the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) program. It is designed to provide the same levels of protection as the larger and heavier previous MRAPs but with improved mobility and it is intended to replace M1114 HMMWVs.

The M-ATV utilizes the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) chassis and TAK-4 suspension with the Plasan designed armored hull developed for the Northrop Grumman/Oshkosh JLTV Technology Development (TD) phase proposal. The V-shaped Plasan armored hull offers protection for the occupants from IED attacks while a central tire inflation system (CTIS) and run-flat inserts allow the M-ATV to travel at least 30 miles at 30 mph even if two tires lose pressure. The vehicle can also take a 7.62 mm round to its engine oil/coolant/hydraulic system and continue to drive for at least one kilometer. The Stat-X engine fire suppression system provides for further survivability.

The TAK-4 suspension is coil sprung and fully independent, and offers 16 inches of travel. The M-ATV's roof mounted turret is capable of mounting weapons such as an M240 machine gun, a Mk 19 grenade launcher, an M2 Browning machine gun, a MILAN anti-tank guided missile, or a BGM-71 TOW anti-tank guided missile launcher. The roof weapons can be operated either from the turret by person or remotely inside the cabin with a CROWS remote weapon system. The M-ATV also features modern vehicle safety systems such as traction control and anti-lock brakes in addition to modern creature comforts such as an HVAC system and power outlets for charging portable electronic devices. Unique among MRAP vehicles are the M-ATV's back rear-hinged doors.

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Husky VMMD (Vehicle Mounted Mine Detector)

Husky VMMD (Vehicle Mounted Mine Detector) or, as it was previously known, the Chubby system, is part of a mine-removal system developed by DCD-Dorbyl Rolling Stock Division which are based on the East Rand in Gauteng, South Africa.

The system was developed in the 1970s for the South African Defence Force to clear military convoy routes of mines in Namibia and Angola. The VMMD system consists of two Husky vehicles. The first one acts as a Mine Detection Vehicle (MDV). In the past this vehicle was called a Meerkat and wasn't a 4x4. The second Husky in the system tows a set of three Duisendpoots and is known as a towing /mine detection vehicle (T/MDV) The latest version of the Husky, the 2G, has high sensitivity low metal content detectors, ground penetrating radar, powerful air blowers and a robotic arm. This extra equipment has caused the design of Husky to evolve to take a second crew member. The Husky 2G was voted one of the US Army's Top 10 most innovative advances in Army technology.

The Duisendpoot is a mine-detonating trailer set (MDT). It will detonate any mines not detected by the Meerkat and Husky.

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