US Military to get lighter, badass trucks for Afghanistan

The way things stand, roadside bombs and mines are a major threat to military operations in Afghanistan. The military’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles from Iraq are too heavy to navigate the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan, though they can protect soldiers from mines and bombs, mobility is restricted. Looking for a lighter vehicle, the Marine Corps has handed over the job of creating lightweight and blast proof trucks to the Oshkosh Corporation.

m atv for afghanistan

It is called the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All Terrain Vehicle, though we doubt that name is used anywhere except papers; its short name, the M-ATV is what people will call it by. The Oshkosh Corporation has a $1.06 billion contract for 2,244 vehicles, and it is required to produce them fast, ultimately going to the production of 1000 vehicles every month. It is also believed that once the Pentagon has funds available, 5244 M-ATVs may be bought.

Via: DangerRoom