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U.S. Expedites Armored Humvees for Troops
U.S. military commanders in Iraq, where bombings pose the deadliest threat to their soldiers, have welcomed news the Pentagon wants to speed up production of upgraded armored Humvees, a military spokesmen said Saturday. The issue of whether the military is providing enough protection for its troops received new attention this week after an Iraq-bound National Guardsman questioned Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld during a visit to neighboring Kuwait on why he and his comrades must scrounge through scrap piles for metal to protect their vehicles. The Army said Friday it was negotiating with an armor manufacturer, Florida-based Armor Holdings Inc., to accelerate production of upgraded M1114, or Level 1, Humvees. The company said it could boost monthly production from the current 450 vehicles to 550 in February or March. "Commanders are looking for any opportunity to increase force protection for the sake of their troops," said Maj. Neal O'Brien, spokesman for the Tikrit-based 1st Infantry Division. "Uparmor or add-on armor will always be one of those force protection assets they want more of."
I wonder if they've thought about looking for overseas suppliers? Contracts like this would be a good reward for countries like Bulgaria and Poland and Albania, all of whom have the capacity to fill the orders.

Posted by: Fred 2004-12-11
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=51017