A recent CNN story reported that U.S. officials in Afghanistan requested 1,000 more mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles.
The CNN report said:
Many of the attacks against NATO-led and Afghan troops in southern and eastern Afghanistan are roadside bombs, and to confront that threat, U.S. military commanders have asked the Pentagon to send hundreds of MRAP armored vehicles, designed to withstand strong explosives, as quickly as possible to U.S. troops battling the Taliban.
Defense sources said the request could include between 600 and 1,000 MRAPs -- Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, many originally destined for Iraq but not needed there as much now because of the dramatic drop in violence there.
The defense department said there was no such request."Contrary to media reports, U.S. officials in Afghanistan have not asked for 1,000 more mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said in a press release. "About 800 MRAPs are in Afghanistan, and more than 6,000 are in Iraq. The terrain in much of Afghanistan is not conducive to MRAP operations," he said.
2 comments:
While the larger Mraps may not handle the terrain, the Force Protection Cheetah might be a possibility.
The problem being that the Pentagon hasn't ordered any Cheetahs. The Cheetah is a slim possibility at best. It is more likely that they'll stick with MRAPs, HumVees and Strykers until the JLTV program kicks in.
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