ARMY AL&T With the responsible drawdown in Iraq and surge in OEF,
mission requirements have changed in ways that have required the MRAP JPO to also change to support warfighter needs.
wire mitigation, radio remote control, and enhanced visibility. Teams include product managers for the represen- tative systems; TARDEC; the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center; Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic; and the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command’s exten- sive capabilities at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, and Yuma Proving Ground, AZ.
While lifesaving and mission-enhancing capabilities, such as improved armor protection and better integrated vehicle electronics, receive top priority, the CI effort has resulted in other benefits to warfighters. “Some of them are just lit- tle tweaks and upgrades that help with human factors, safety, and survivability. We may modify seat belts or a better pass-through for wiring,” Hansen said. He added that collaboration among defense and industry partners and con- tinued feedback from warfighters all play a crucial role in equipping MRAP variants with greater lifesaving, mission- enhancing capabilities to warfighters.
Sustaining the Fleet With the responsible drawdown in Iraq and surge in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), mission require- ments have changed in ways that have required the MRAP JPO to also change to support warfighter needs. With core values such as being responsive, adaptive, and perseverant, the JPO con- tinues to meet the demand signal.
One of the JPO’s biggest success sto- ries is the MRAP Sustainment Facility (MSF) in Kuwait. Developed by the JPO 2 years ago, the MSF continues
to increase in size and capacity. When stood up in November 2007, the MSF functioned as a deprocessing center, supporting onward movement of more than 11,000 MRAPs. Since then, it has transformed to a first-class sustainment maintenance facility for re-missioned assets transitioning from the fight in Iraq to the fight in Afghanistan. In recent months, the MSF has increased personnel and improved processes using Lean Six Sigma to better prioritize and move vehicles through the line. Today, an average of 100 MRAPS per week are refurbished and upgraded at the MSF.
“This represents not only a timesaver for our warfighters, but a cost savings for the American taxpayer,” said COL Stephen Ward, PM Forward, MRAP JPO. “Doing the repairs close to the theaters of operation helps get the trucks into the fight as soon as possible, at considerably less cost and time spent than if we shipped MRAPs back to CONUS for repairs and upgrades.”
Besides the MSF, the JPO Forward established regional support activi- ties where vehicles are deprocessed or repaired onsite and near combat areas in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to Peterson, the intent is to perform repair as far forward as circumstances and facilities will support to minimize trans- portation requirements of these heavy vehicles within the theater.
Home Station Training A key lesson learned from the baseline MRAP program was the necessity of home station training. Sending trucks to home stations for training before deployment, “better prepares units so when deployed they are already familiar
with the equipment they will use in theater,” Peterson said. Among the tools available to the MRAP user community are the MRAP Egress Trainer (MET) and the Common Driver Trainer (CDT). Training is mandatory for the driver and all vehicle crew members.
The MET teaches service members the proper skills to safely egress in the event of a rollover. This tool provides the operator and vehicle crew with a better understanding of what happens during a rollover event or how to avoid one. It also helps reinforce the need to wear seat belts and personal protective equip- ment, and teaches the crew to work as a team during and after an event.
The CDT trains critical driver tasks in a virtual simulator, including sce- narios such as driving on poor road conditions, weak bridges, and even combat-like conditions on a fixed, motion-based platform. The devices were developed by the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command’s PM Training Systems and the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation.
Whether through training, procurement, and rapid fielding; CI; or refurbishing vehicles for new missions, Peterson emphasized that they are all working toward the same goal—providing sur- vivable, effective vehicles for warfighters in the field. “The MRAP is still in the urgent fielding right now. So, really, we’re focusing on making the vehicles survivable and relevant in Afghanistan,” Peterson said. “There is no greater mis- sion than devising ways to counter the IED threat.”
BARBARA HAMBY is the Public Affairs Officer for the Joint MRAP Vehicle Program. She holds a B.S. in communications from Northern Arizona University.
JULY –SEPTEMBER 2010
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