Month of June Sees 912 Additional MRAP Vehicles Placed on Order
29 Jun 2007 | Corporate Communications
Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, VA -- Continuing its commitment to provide the warfighter with the most advanced technology available, the U.S. Marine Corps placed orders for an additional 912 lifesaving Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles during June. The total number of vehicles ordered to date is 3,765.
The Marine Corps awarded International Military and Government LLC an $8.5 million firm-fixed-price delivery order for 16 Category II MRAP vehicles under a previously awarded contract June 18. Force Protection Industries received an order for 395 Category I and 60 Category II MRAP vehicles June 19 valued at $221.6 million through a firm-fixed-priced delivery order, also under a previously awarded contract. BAE Land Systems and Armaments received a second delivery order June 28, this one for 441 vehicles consisting of 425 Category I vehicles, including Special Operations Command Variant designs and 16 Category II vehicles specially designed to provide ambulance capabilities for wounded troops. This delivery order is valued at $213.8 million.
"These three contract orders are evidence of the Marine Corps and joint effort commitment to procuring and fielding quality vehicles to our warfighters in the most expeditious manner possible," said Paul Mann, MRAP program manager.
The Marine Corps serves as the lead agency for the MRAP Acquisition Category II program that will ultimately field more than 7,770 vehicles to the Marine, Navy, Army, Air Force and Special Operations Command troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Marine Corps currently has 117 vehicles in theater with no Marine Corps fatalities associated with the MRAP vehicles.
In a May 2 written statement, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates declared, "The MRAP program should be considered the highest priority Department of Defense acquisition program, and any and all options to accelerate production and fielding of this capability to the theater should be identified, assessed and applied where feasible."
According to Mann, that is exactly what is occurring. "We will continue to make every effort possible to maintain our rapid pace while ensuring that the vehicles fielded are of the highest quality," he said. "Our troops deserve nothing but the best."