The US Marine Corps asked the Pentagon's inspector general to perform the audit after coming under fire for setting aside an urgent request from field commanders in 2005 for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicles.

"DoD (Department of Defense) was aware of the threat posed by mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in low-intensity conflicts and of the availability of mine-resistant vehicles years before insurgent actions began in Iraq in 2003," the audit found.

"Yet DoD did not develop requirements for, fund, or acquire MRAP-type vehicles for low-intensity conflicts that involved mines and IEDs," a summary of the report said.

"As a result, the department entered into operations in Iraq without having taken available steps to acquire technology to mitigate the known mine and IED risk to soldiers and Marines," it said.

Roadside bombs have proven to be the insurgents' deadliest weapon against US troops in Iraq, and MRAPs have been far more effective than armored Humvees in protecting troops from them.

Despite field commanders' urgent request for MRAPs in February 2005, the Marines opted several months later to replace all its Humvees in Iraq with up-armored versions of the jeep-like vehicle.

The Marine Corps deputy commandant for installations and logistics advised generals that up-armored Humvees were "the best available, most survivable asset to protect Marine Corps forces," the audit said.

At that point, the process for handling the request for MRAPs was halted, it said.

The report did not address the actions of the US Army, which moved more slowly than the Marine Corps in acquiring MRAPs.

The Marine Corps and the Army both relied mainly on up-armored Humvees in Iraq until 2007 when US Defense Secretary Robert Gates put the services on crash programs to acquire and field the life-saving MRAPs.

"And 22 billion dollars and -- what? -- 18 months later we've got, you know, almost 12,000 (MRAPs) in theater. And I think we're on course to buy more than 16,000," said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary.

Morrell defended the services' performance, saying that they responded to the IED threat as it evolved from crude roadside bombs to more sophisticated armor-penetrating weapons.

As the bombings became more effective, the services fielded Humvees with progressively higher levels of armor protection.

"So we have seen the enemy adapt to us and we've had to adapt to them. As the threat has evolved, so have our force protection measures," Morrell said.

"Have we done so with the rapidity and the efficiency that we would have liked at all times? No, we haven't," he said.

"But to suggest that there was any sort of neglect or people were sitting on their hands ignoring the urgent request of commanders in the field is just not accurate," he added.

Share This Article With Planet Earth

del.icio.us	Digg	Reddit
YahooMyWeb	Google	Facebook

Related Links
Iraq: The first technology war of the 21st century

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS Solar Energy Solutions Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ... Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News