Here’s a great first-person review of the MRAP from my good friend who posts as “Slab” on OpFor.
In January, my team traded out our well-worn M1114 Up-armored HMMWV for a 4X4 JERRV, one of the models of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles purchased by the Marine Corps. We were pretty excited to have the new vehicle, especially after our first look inside. I mean, the thing looks like the Cadillac Escalade of tactical vehicles. The IED threat in our little slice of Al Anbar had long since dropped to non-existent, but it felt good to have something that was specifically engineered to combat the threat, you know? It didn’t take long for the novelty to wear off, however, and by the end of the deployment we had taken to operating mainly from a Humvee again. The MRAP is a superb EOD and convoy security vehicle (the acronym JERRV stands for Joint EOD Rapid Response Vehicle), but it is merely a passable utility and/or fighting vehicle. The thing was obviously designed with the EOD mission in mind, and if any operator input was incorporated into the design, it clearly did not come from the infantry community.
On the good side, it is obviously better equipped to resist blast-type mines and IEDs than any other vehicle in the inventory. On top of the increased protection, the MRAP has a fantastic communications system installed, much better than what we had in our Humvee. Most ANGLICO Humvees look like Monster Garage rejects — additional antennas installed in weird places, additional radios installed in all sorts of unauthorized fashion, all trying to maximize the communications capability of our vehicles. Here we had a vehicle that came with brand new multiband radios, all tied in to an intercommunications system. Although many of the comm capabilities are completely unnecessary for most units, it almost seemed like this thing was made for ANGLICO. In addition, the designers were definitely looking to improve crew comfort in these things — the seats are much more comfortable than the ones in a Humvee, the Vehicle Commander’s (VC) seat was MUCH roomier than in a Humvee (even my 155 lb ass ends up wedged between the door and the Blue Force Tracker mount in a Humvee), the air conditioning system was top-notch, etc.
For a motorized infantry mission, however, the MRAP’s shortcomings are many. It handles atrociously offroad. The suspension is incredibly stiff, with the end result being that you must be tightly strapped in to survive the jostling in the back of the vehicle. Well, my radio operator sits in the back, and those wonderful radios I mentioned before are placed in such a way that the only person who can readily access them is the gunner. Someone that I would prefer keep his attention oriented, you know, outside the vehicle. My radio guy can certainly reach around the gunner’s legs and work on the radios, but not if he’s tightly strapped in trying to survive the ride.
Because we frequently live and fight from our vehicle, we have to carry an assortment of odds and ends for our radios, weapons, and ourselves. Things like water, MREs, ammunition, spare barrels for the machinegun, and spare items for the radios. The jostling that I just mentioned makes it nearly impossible to store any of these items in the interior of the vehicle without significant modification. We tried removing one of the seats and putting in a wooden box with space for some of these items, but many items were tossed completely out of the box and ended up strewn about the floor of the vehicle. There is a complete lack of weapons stowage for passengers in the rear of the vehicle, and the weapons racks for the driver and VC are designed for M16s, not M4s. One aspect that seems to elude many tactical vehicle designers is that motorized infantry typically store their sustainment load (i.e. rucksacks) externally (see below). This allows the vehicle’s internal space to be utilized for items that I mentioned at the beginning of this paragraph, which must be readily accessible throughout the day. Sustainment items can typically wait until a long halt of some sort before they are needed. Yet, the MRAP has no provision for strapping a rucksack to the outside of the vehicle.
The MRAP is a vehicle that is well-suited for a particular niche, but due to pressure from people such as our lawmakers in Congress, it has been pressed into service in roles that it is not suited for. For a unit that never leaves a paved surface, and rarely spends more than 24 hours outside of some sort of operating base at a time, the MRAP’s protection and communications capabilities make it a superb asset. For units that must remain expeditionary, be able to operate in a wide variety of terrain and pursue the enemy wherever he is found, the MRAP is ultimately a poor choice, and I in retrospect I am very glad that Gen Conway is reducing the number of these vehicles on order. Personally, if given the choice, I would take an M1114 or M1152 HMMWV over the JERRV 4X4, and would seek other means to reduce the IED threat through such things as tribal leader engagement and refining mounted patrol TTPs.
For more reading on the subject, try Defense Tech. As you can see, Christian has been leveling similar criticism since last year. Christian’s article is one of the more down-to-earth articles I’ve seen on the subject. He and I had a good discussion about personal body armor at the Milbloggies last year, it looks like we are of generally the same opinion on the MRAP issue as well.
– Slab
From this review is clear that these truck derived vehicles ar far from a real solution but just an expensive low-term one.
You end up with something that has such a poor in-road and off-road performance to be of little use outside getting you isolated from the outside world.
A new generation of utility vehicles with v-shaped hulls provide a much better balance between protection and mobility than those dinosaurs with wheels:
http://www.defense-update.com/products/m/MLV.htm
It seems the The MRAP is good for convoy duty and patroling the main roads.
That is good, since that seems to be where most of the IED have been placed.
No-one ever thought the MRAP was the total solution, especially when you need somthing that gives you off road mobility.
I gets a little tiring hearing everyone think one vehicle should do it all.
Dosn’t anyone think two main vehicles, one light and one heavy, would give our forces more flexibility?
I never understood how MRAPS were issued out to units,which units got them & for what.Doesn’t the Casspir,which the Buffalo is supposed to be evolved from,operate off road?
I’m a bit confused too, this description does not fit what ANGLICO was doing during my time in, either. They sound far too vehicle-bound, and the continual references to “mech infantry” concerns me. What exactly are these Marines being educated as?
I realize I am a bit dated now too, but still, when ANGLICO starts talking like they are “mech infantry” and bound to vehicles, that doesn’t sound like a good thing.
Lest I seem to be attacking the messenger, let me also add I was very happy to read this line:
”…and would seek other means to reduce the IED threat through such things as tribal leader engagement and refining mounted patrol TTPs.“
Definitely has his head screwed on straight, IMO. The MRAP issue was just an iteration in the armor/arrow cycle, not a solution to anything. The solution has been found in proper COIN techniques and intelligent leadership on the ground.
As to the vehicle/mech inf stuff, I’m obviously outdated. I’m sure the writer has far more perspective on the current Marine trends than I do now, “fat and happy” behind a computer at home in the states. My bad.
Semper Fi, Marine.
Krag
Here’s hoping they make it a little more suitable for those expeditionary missions soon.
Soldiers should go to war with the military they have, not the military they want. In a way, our soldiers have been pampered to the point that they can complain on just about anything.
Like someone said before.…one vehicle cannot and will not do it all. That is why we emlpoy tracked and wheeled vehicles. I am out now 10 years, but ANGLICO was always a light, moble force multiplier. Thant’s why these guys always got all the jump billets to Benning. Being tied to MRAPS or even LAVs is scary. When did we Marines change our doctrine in closing with and destroying the enemy with hand to hand combat and fire and manuver. That is why we are built as heavy infantry not mech infantry. Leave that crap to the Army.
Semper Fi Marines, keep your asses down and your minds sharp.
Careful, Dan. Look at the flak SecDef Rumsfeld caught when he made the same (accurate) observation.
Convoy escort is one need but also in lighter roles HMMWVs need to be replaced soon with a V shaped vehicle.
In Europe this has been done with the Iveco MLV while in US there have been a random order of mine resistant truck derived vehicles that are just not right for the role.
Instead of having flexible and fast infantry units you are converting them in well protected snails not even able to go off-road (Can this be defined as a military vehicle?).
As The Buffalo is derived from a south african design, there should be a some effort to license a vehicle covering combat roles instead of providing the wrong solutions.
This could be a nice way to solve this situation while a real HMMWVs replacement design is defined.
Why Europe is doing this and the US not? Lobbies?
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