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| Iraq-Jordan | |
| U.S. Expedites Armored Humvees for Troops | |
| 2004-12-11 | |
U.S. military commanders in Iraq, where bombings pose the deadliest threat to their soldiers, have welcomed news the Pentagon wants to speed up production of upgraded armored Humvees, a military spokesmen said Saturday. The issue of whether the military is providing enough protection for its troops received new attention this week after an Iraq-bound National Guardsman questioned Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld during a visit to neighboring Kuwait on why he and his comrades must scrounge through scrap piles for metal to protect their vehicles. The Army said Friday it was negotiating with an armor manufacturer, Florida-based Armor Holdings Inc., to accelerate production of upgraded M1114, or Level 1, Humvees. The company said it could boost monthly production from the current 450 vehicles to 550 in February or March. "Commanders are looking for any opportunity to increase force protection for the sake of their troops," said Maj. Neal O'Brien, spokesman for the Tikrit-based 1st Infantry Division. "Uparmor or add-on armor will always be one of those force protection assets they want more of."
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 Think we can get a Congressional delegation together to go on TV and announce a waiver of their laws and regulations in order to expedite the process? No cheap shots a year or two down the road for a public circus? Not likely. As Blackfive posts - As you might recall, I had pushed for the Rapid Acquisition Authority Bill to be sent out of the Senate Armed Services Committee and into a vote. The RAAB gave commanders the ability to make purchases that would protect their troops in a combat zone - purchases without going through the laborious and lobbyist intense acquisition process for the Pentagon. Unfortunately, both Republicans and Democrats killed the bill. Their excuse was that the 2005 Defense Budget addressed the need for Rapid Acquisition. They were/are incorrect. Nuff said. |
| Posted by: Don 2004-12-11 11:21:33 PM |
| #6 Along the same lines as making politicians fly on commercial carriers; I say we round up all the Pentagon bean-counters who nixed the Iraq troops' armor requirements and and let them take a self-guided tour of Baghdad in an unarmored Humvee. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-12-11 10:35:43 PM |
| #5 Phil F, read Fred's suggestion. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the E European allies could come up with the alloys you seek. |
| Posted by: lex 2004-12-11 10:01:34 PM |
| #4 I've had a composite armor idea I've been working on in my spare time, but I am having trouble making progress because the alloys I wanted to use to begin with weren't readily available. |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2004-12-11 9:46:42 PM |
| #3 SwissTex, that is correct (for the moment; "best" is constantly changing), but remember that we don't need the best. We don't have enemy tanks shooting at us. We need to stop RPGs, IEDs. Not to downplay those, but it's far easier to defend against just those threats if you also don't have to worry about Long Rods and such. Surprisingly, ordinary rubber (sandwiched between steel) does a pretty good job. Reactive armor works, too, but there are tactical difficulties. Exactly, RM, which is why the Humvees didn't have armor in the first place. They were replacements for the Jeep, not the M1. Really, the only long-term solution would be to start using real armored vehicles, like the Bradley or Stryker. That's $$$$$$$$$ also, but better than paying off life insurance. |
| Posted by: jackal 2004-12-11 9:15:59 PM |
| #2 The weight of the traditional armor plate is killing the rolling stock. The Military have no viable short term alternative, but they are going to have to find one because the degradation rate on the vehicles is costing them a huge amount. |
| Posted by: Remote Man 2004-12-11 8:16:04 PM |
| #1 I have read, I don't remember where, that the best armors are made of ceramic, but for that you need special oven and these are made overseas and take up to 18mth to manufacture. |
| Posted by: SwissTex 2004-12-11 8:06:05 PM |