Beginning with the first troops on the ground in Afghanistan in October of 2001, the United States military has been conducting counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency combat operations. Following the special warfare operations and traditional maneuver operations in Iraq, the military was faced with battling an insurgency in both Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. The asymmetric threat that emerged began to take its toll in casualties as the insurgents turned to improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

IEDs are the biggest cause of casualties and deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a quick solution was needed to combat the threat. The US military began to operate out of the norm in search of a protective vehicle that could withstand the blast and shock of several 155MM daisy chained IEDs. And so the Joint Program Office Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (JPO MRAP) was created.

JPO MRAP, which falls under the guise and control of the Navy-Marine Corps team, is responsible for fielding the MRAP family of vehicles to troops downrange and select, procure and field the very best vehicles. The family of vehicles is diverse and is produced by multiple defense companies in an effort to speed up the overall production and fielding process.

The most recent design that is being fielded to Afghanistan is the MRAP All Terrain Vehicle, or MATV. Dave Hansen serves as JPO MRAP’s number two civilian in charge of selection and production and speaks in this podcast regarding the overall effectiveness, selection and production of the MATV.