The second batch of orders worth of a total US$79 million for low-rate initial production MRAP vehicles were issued this week. The vehicles include the South African designed RG-31, the Australian Bushmaster and the new Golan vehicle, designed under a joint Israeli-US cooperation. Three manufacturers received orders for a total of 180 vehicles. Oshkosh Truck Corporation received $30 million to deliver 30 PVI designed Alpha armored vehicles, (defined as Category I, to be used as urban combat vehicles). Protected Vehicles, Inc. also received $37.4 million to deliver another 60 Golan heavy armored vehicles, produced under cooperation with Israel’s RAFAEL and Oshkosh Truck. These vehicles will comply with MRAP Category II – the Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Rapid Response Vehicle JERRV) requirement, expected to be used for operations such as convoy lead, troop transport, ambulance, explosive ordnance disposal and combat engineering. General Dynamics Land Systems Canada received $11 million, for RG-31 armored vehicles, designed for Category I and Category II roles. The company will deliver 10 vehicles of each class. Deliveries of all vehicles is expected to complete within four months (by June 2007). Previous orders worthe $122 million for 200 vehicles were issued to BAE Systems and Force Dynamics. Both are based on South African designed vehicles, producted in the USA.
