Major Shaitan Singh
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In addition to the MRAP package the US has also approved the sale of 12 mobile launchers and 100 Army ATACMS ballistic missiles to the UAE, doubling the emirate's small but potent missile force.
US soldiers trained in driving MaxxPro MRAPs, 2010. Photo: U.S. Army by David Bruce
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A MaxxPro MRAP sets up a secure position, allowing Soldiers from White Platoon, Apache Troop to dismount and conduct nearby street-level engagements with local villagers April 4, 2014. photo: U.S. Army by Joseph Krebsbach
In an unprecedented move the the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approached the US government to some 4,500 used Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the vehicles include about 3,360 International MaxxPro of various types and 1,150 BAE Systems Caiman multi-terrain vehicles. 44 MRAP All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATV) are also bundled in the package that is expected to cost over $2.5 billion. Sofar the US Army has donated these vehicles to foreign countries that supported the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to domestic police and law enforcement agencies in the USA.
US soldiers trained in driving MaxxPro MRAPs, 2010. Photo: U.S. Army by David Bruce
According to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announcement, the UAE intends to utilize these MRAP vehicles to increase force protection, to conduct humanitarian assistance operations, and to protect vital international commercial trade routes and critical infrastructure. It is also possible that in financing this acquisition the UAE will be able to provide protected mobility to locally established groups that would be orgenized to fight the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. “These MRAPs will enhance UAE’s burden-sharing capacity and defensive capabilities.” The DSCA announcement said.
The principal contractors will be Navistar Defense in Lisle, Illinois; BAE Systems in Sealy, Texas; and OshkoshDefense in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since the vehicles are sold as excess inventory, the financial impact of this sale is not expected to be significant for those companies.
The package could include 4,569 MRAP Vehicles of the following types:
CAIMAN Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle off-road driving in Kuwait, 2012. Photo: Photo: U.S. Army by Kyle Koeberl
In addition to the MRAP package the US has also approved the sale of 100 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) medium range ballistic missiles to the UAE. Those missiles comprise the M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rockets with T2K (Block IA Unitary) warheads weighing 500 lb.,
US Army/Lockheed Martin ATACMS missiles are fired from MLRS or HIMARS platforms. Photo: Lockheed Martin
The missiles will be loaded on a battalion of 12 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launchers, 12 resupply vehicles and 65 unitary pods each comprising six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS). The estimated cost of this missile package is $900 million. The UAE has been operating a regiment equipped with 20 HIMARS launchers carrying ATACMS since 2006. In 2010 the US Government approved the sale of 100 missiles for the UAE, replacing the previously supplied cluster-munitioned versions with new designs using the T2K unitary warhead.
The ATACMS missile uses GPS guidance to strike targets at high precision, and at nearly vertical angle from ranges of 70 to 270 km. The M57 variant was used successfully in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, where deep strike capability was required against high payoff targets. In the recent years ATACMS has been deployed with other Middle-Eastern countries including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Turkey.
US soldiers trained in driving MaxxPro MRAPs, 2010. Photo: U.S. Army by David Bruce
Share on emailShare on printfriendlyShare on pocketMore Sharing Services52
A MaxxPro MRAP sets up a secure position, allowing Soldiers from White Platoon, Apache Troop to dismount and conduct nearby street-level engagements with local villagers April 4, 2014. photo: U.S. Army by Joseph Krebsbach
In an unprecedented move the the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has approached the US government to some 4,500 used Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicles. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the vehicles include about 3,360 International MaxxPro of various types and 1,150 BAE Systems Caiman multi-terrain vehicles. 44 MRAP All Terrain Vehicles (M-ATV) are also bundled in the package that is expected to cost over $2.5 billion. Sofar the US Army has donated these vehicles to foreign countries that supported the fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to domestic police and law enforcement agencies in the USA.
US soldiers trained in driving MaxxPro MRAPs, 2010. Photo: U.S. Army by David Bruce
According to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announcement, the UAE intends to utilize these MRAP vehicles to increase force protection, to conduct humanitarian assistance operations, and to protect vital international commercial trade routes and critical infrastructure. It is also possible that in financing this acquisition the UAE will be able to provide protected mobility to locally established groups that would be orgenized to fight the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. “These MRAPs will enhance UAE’s burden-sharing capacity and defensive capabilities.” The DSCA announcement said.
The principal contractors will be Navistar Defense in Lisle, Illinois; BAE Systems in Sealy, Texas; and OshkoshDefense in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since the vehicles are sold as excess inventory, the financial impact of this sale is not expected to be significant for those companies.
The package could include 4,569 MRAP Vehicles of the following types:
- 1,085 MaxxPro Long Wheel Base (LWB) chassis
- 29 MaxxPro LWB
- 264 MaxxPro Base/MRAP Expedient Armor Program (MEAP – augmented side armor)
- 729 MaxxPro Bases
- 283 MaxxPro MEAP without armor
- 970 MaxxPro Plus (up-armored against IEDs)
- 1,150 Caiman Multi-Terrain Vehicles (without add-on armor)
- 44 MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATV)
- 15 MRAP Recovery Vehicles
CAIMAN Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle off-road driving in Kuwait, 2012. Photo: Photo: U.S. Army by Kyle Koeberl
In addition to the MRAP package the US has also approved the sale of 100 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) medium range ballistic missiles to the UAE. Those missiles comprise the M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rockets with T2K (Block IA Unitary) warheads weighing 500 lb.,
US Army/Lockheed Martin ATACMS missiles are fired from MLRS or HIMARS platforms. Photo: Lockheed Martin
The missiles will be loaded on a battalion of 12 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launchers, 12 resupply vehicles and 65 unitary pods each comprising six Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS). The estimated cost of this missile package is $900 million. The UAE has been operating a regiment equipped with 20 HIMARS launchers carrying ATACMS since 2006. In 2010 the US Government approved the sale of 100 missiles for the UAE, replacing the previously supplied cluster-munitioned versions with new designs using the T2K unitary warhead.
The ATACMS missile uses GPS guidance to strike targets at high precision, and at nearly vertical angle from ranges of 70 to 270 km. The M57 variant was used successfully in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, where deep strike capability was required against high payoff targets. In the recent years ATACMS has been deployed with other Middle-Eastern countries including the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Turkey.
