Army Speeds Delivery of Force-Protection Equipment to Iraq

WASHINGTON --- Army officials are creating a new way to field force-protection products, such as mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, to speed their delivery to deployed soldiers in Iraq.>> As equipment comes available, its shipped to Iraq immediately and tested to see how it incorporates with the mission, officials said. The fieldings are geared only toward mission necessity, with the bells and whistles added later, they said. Fielding is the process of identifying a mission requirement and fulfilling it with new or existing technology.>> Officials have applied this concept to the MRAP, which is attributed with greatly reducing combat injuries for soldiers on patrol.>> We're getting the fielded pieces out to the soldiers immediately, Army Lt. Col. Steven Brewer, force integration officer for Multinational Division Center, said. When roadside bomb attacks were on the rise in Iraq, soldiers found themselves in need of vehicles that could resist the threat.>> "We are going immediately from concept to implementation in less than a year out here, so we are taking a lot of shortcuts and doing a lot of pieces after the fact, Brewer continued. Then, we just keep improving it and testing it.>> Four companies were manufacturing MRAPs simultaneously to meet increased demand, officials said. Six of 12 models passed initial Army testing, with four chosen for development. Since the first four models, experts have instituted three generations of improvements, essentially creating 12 versions of the vehicle. A simulated MRAP roll-over trainer is in development.