MRAP Vehicles More Effective than Tanks: Gates
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates stated on the 13th May that the MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles used by the US military had performed more effectively than tanks in protecting troops from roadside explosions.
Six Soldiers Killed
Six soldiers, said Gates, had so far been killed during 150 attacks on the armoured vehicles.
Explaining the significance of this, he said: "The casualty rate is one-third that of Humvees [and] less than half that of an Abrams tank", adding: "These vehicles are saving lives and limbs."
Roadside Blasts
Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell added that a mere six per cent of US troops travelling in MRAPs that had been struck by roadside blasts had been killed or received wounds - 16 per cent less than the equivalent rate for Humvees.
MRAP Acquisition
In 2007, Gates urged the Defense Department to prioritise the acquisition of MRAPs after discovering that, up until that point, no US soldier had died whilst travelling in them.
While this statistic has since altered, Gates still spoke positively of them.
Last year, the Pentagon placed an order for 15,400 MRAPs.
In recent months, the armoured vehicles have been deployed both in Afghanistan and in Iraq, with around 500 and 1500 now in the two respective conflict zones.
MRAPs can accommodate up to ten troops. They weigh about 18 tons and are around 12 feet high. They have greater distance between them and the ground than other armoured vehicles, and also possess a V-profile hull, meant to deflect the impact of an explosion.
Source - Armed Forces International's US Correspondent
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