General Dynamics Wins MRAP Orders of Its Own
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IEDed in Iraq
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BAE OMC’s RG-31 was the first mine-resistant vehicle fielded by US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it was used by the 101st Airborne (and reportedly by SOCOM) as a patrol vehicle. Since hostilities began, a series of orders have been placed by US forces through an odd triumverate: General Dynamics Land Systems Canada was partnered with BAE OMC of South Africa and its GDLS parent in the USA. All contracts are signed through the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a Crown Agency of the Canadian Government (who also use RG-31s).
According to General Dynamics, as of August 2007, U.S. forces had ordered 492 RG-31 vehicles, including 309 of the improved RG-31 Mk5 variant for the U.S. Army and Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Almost none of these orders had come through the MRAP program, however – just 20 vehicles as of July 2007, even as competitors like Navistar and Force Protection had seen order book totals approaching 2,000.
General Dynamics does reap 50% of every Cougar MRAP order to Force Protection, via the Force Dynamics partnership, but the RG-31 had been MIA. An August 2007 order for 600 more vehicles put General Dynamics back in the game as a distant 4th place producer; hopefully, US forces will be able to avoid the initial maintenance issues that have given Canadian RG-31s problems in Afghanistan.
The latest developments involve a $500+ million MRAP order that has been driven by requests from Afghanistan… and the usual orders for spare parts.
GD’s Other MRAP Entries: The RG-31 Family
by Pedro Lucio
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The Category I MRUV (Mine-Resistant Utility Vehicle) is a 6-passenger vehicle including front seats, with blast-resistant design, ballistic glass, gun turret, undercarriage armor and a raised chassis. Category II JERRV vehicles must seat at least 10, and offer larger mine-protected patrol and specialty vehicle functions for troops and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams.
The CCC – GDLS – BAE OMC team has entered the RG-31 Mk5 as its CAT I entry. RG-31s are one of the lighter MRAP vehicles on the roster, with a combat weight of about 18,500 pounds, as opposed to the Cougar 4×4’s weight of 31,000 pounds empty. The RG-31 MK3 4×4 Mine Protected APC is built from an all-steel welded armor monocoque hull; dismounting is provided via a large rear door for rapid exits and 2 front doors. The RG-31 Mk5 is the latest version of the “Charger,” as the Americans call it, delivering a significant increase in power and payload to meet emerging requirements.
The team’s CAT II entry is the RG-31 Mk5E (“Extended”), a stretched and heavier variant of the RG-31 Mk5 that can carry more troops and/or cargo
Many RG-31s are currently used by the US Army and US Marine Corps as pathfinder vehicles that take lead convoy roles, or act as specialty vehicles for Explosives Ordnance Disposal teams. The US 101st Airborne uses these vehicles the same way the Canadians do, as proven blast-resistant patrol vehicles whose protection level, mobility and multiple firing ports make them small but formidable opponents. As one report notes:
“On 26 September 2006, a suicide bomber attacked a Canadian convoy 2km from Kandahar Airfield. The bomber detonated a explosives-laden minivan while trying to ram an RG-31 Nyala Armoured Patrol Vehicle. The result differed dramatically from earlier attacks on armoured [Mercedes] G-wagons. Instead of charred wreckage, the blast- resistant [BAE Systems OMC] Nyala limped home with little damage. Instead of wounded or dead, no-one was injured inside the APV.”
No vehicle is invincible, however; a July 2007 land mine attack near Kandahar left 7 crewmen dead. The July 4/07 Edmonton Sun article also notes a series of mechanical issues the Canadian Forces have had with the RG-31 and its independently-manufactured remote weapons system:
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“Army records show that at the height of fierce fighting in Afghanistan last summer, more than a quarter of the RG-31 fleet were in the shop with maintenance problems.
The vehicles had a series of electrical and software glitches, many relating to the roof-mounted remote-controlled machine-gun [DID: the Kongsberg Protector M151 RWS, also used on US Stryker vehicles].
Nyala maintenance logs, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, show the vehicles arrived with a series of minor defects.
Records show that between mid-June and mid-July last year, 13 of the 50 Nyalas – some with as few as 550 km on them – were deemed “non-mission capable” by the army.
The ratio has since improved, with only one or two of the current complement of 75 RG-31s down for maintenance at any time.”
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Unless otherwise specified, all contracts are issued by the US Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) in Quantico, VA. Contracts are signed with the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a Crown Agency of the Canadian Government in Ottawa, ON. General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada manages the contracts, and works with partner BAE OMC in South Africa to deliver the vehicles.
July 24/08: A $15.8 million firm-fixed price contract for MRAP sustainment spare parts. Work will be performed in Guateng, South Africa; Trenton, N.J.; and Ontario, Canada, and is expected to be complete by July 5/09. One bid was solicited on June 17/08 by U.S. Army TACOM in Warren, MI (W56HZV-08-C-0514).
July 17/08: The consortium receives delivery order #0004 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-07-D-5028). They will produce another 773 RG-31 Mk5E Category I vehicles for the MRAP vehicle program, including Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) upgrades and associated Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs. The order has a total potential value of $552.1 million.
Part of the reason for General Dynamics’ success is rising demand for MRAPs in Afghanistan. There are roughly 800 MRAPs in Afghanistan, and Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, commander of Combined Task Force 101 at Bagram Airfield, relayed his request for more to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Navy Adm. Mike Mullen during Mullen’s recent visit to Afghanistan. Commanders in Afghanistan wanted the RG-31 in particular because it’s smaller and lighter than many other MRAP vehicles, without being to small and light to have survivability issues. They also reportedly believe that the RG-31’s design is well suited for Afghanistan’s unimproved roads and rugged terrain. Those requests, and their urgency as violence intensifies in Afghanistan, are driving an accelerated production schedule that has forced a slight change in work arrangements. Work will be performed in South Africa (57%); Lansing, MI (22%) and Anniston, AL (21%). The GDLS press release adds that:
“Work will be performed by General Dynamics employees in Anniston, AL and by Demmer Corporation of Lansing, MI. Additional production will come from BAE OMC of Benoni, South Africa, in order to meet the urgent production schedule. Deliveries will be completed by April 2009.”
This contract is in addition to the 624 RG-31 Mk5 vehicles already supplied under the MRAP program, bringing GDLS’ total to 1,397 – just over 9% of total MRAP orders to date. Another 566 RG-31s have been ordered under other programs by the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command. See also: Pentagon DefenseLINK re: Afghanistan | GDLS release | Engineering Times of South Africa.
June 11/08: The U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS), has awarded a USD $67.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract for RG-31 Mk5 vehicles to General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada, via US Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC).
The contract orders 111 RG-31 Mk5E Mine Protected Vehicles, and deliveries will occur from August – October 2008. Yet this is not an MRAP order.
Since February 2005, the TACOM LCMC has ordered RG-31 vehicles based on Operational Need Statements (ONS) by the U.S. Army for route clearance vehicles. This is the 3rd ONS requirement,folowing ONS 1 (148) and ONS 2 (307) RG-31 Mk5 vehicles. The RG-51Mk5E is the larger variant recently purchased by Spain, and predominates in the American MRAP program as the Category II variant. This order brings the total of RG-31 vehicles bought under ONS requirements to 566; the 610 RG-31s ordered under MRAP are additive.
April 28/08: Looks like some design changes are underway. A $28.6 million firm-fixed-priced delivery order modification is received under previously awarded contract M67854-07-D-5028. RG-31 vehicles will be brought to Durbin, South Africa for a battle damage assessment repair list, removal of gun ports in the ballistic windows, a revised statement of work, and a related contract data requirements list. Further work will be performed in a combat area of operations operating in an austere environment (35%); Lansing, MI (35%); and Texarkana, TX (30%), and is expected to be complete by April 2009.
March 11/08: A $7.2 million for firm-fixed-priced delivery order modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5028). The funds will pay for OCONUS Field Service Representatives (FSR) in the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) areas of operation, and is expected to be complete in April 2009.
Feb 21/08: The stretched RG-31 Mk5E wins the second phase of the Spanish MRAP competition, for 100 squad level vehicles at a cost of about EUR 100 million ($150 million). Spain’s General Dynamics Santa Barbara Sistemas will be the vehicle integrator, and armament will include RAFAEL’s Samson remote weapon system that can be fired from inside the vehicle. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2008, and end in 2009. See “MRAPs and New Wheeled APCs for Spain.”
Jan 24/08: A $6.1 million delivery order under a previously-awarded firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-07-D-5028, #0001) for the purchase of Objective Gunner Protection Kit Parts. The equipment will be installed on RG-31 Mk5 MRAP Category I vehicles. Work will be performed in Ontario, Canada, and is expected to be complete by February 2009.
Nov 5/07: A $60.2 million firm-fixed-price delivery order modification under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5028) for the purchase of field service representatives, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) University, new equipment training, logistics and engineering requirements, logistics demonstration at Red River Army Depot, level of repair analysis, and PLL/ASL (prescribed load list/authorized stock level) sustainment parts.
Work will be performed in combat areas of operations in an austere environment, and in Lansing, MI and Texarkana, TX, and is expected to be completed October 2008.
Oct 9/07: BAE Systems and the Red River Army Depot (RRAD) signed a Memorandum of Intent for a partnership to support production of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles during the Association of the U.S. Army’s (AUSA 2007) Annual Symposium and Exhibition in Washington, DC.
The memorandum states that RRAD and BAE Systems have agreed to enter into a Public Private Partnership for MRAP production and follow-on support, similar to the existing M2/M3 Bradley public-private remanufacture program undertaken with RRAD. BAE notes that they are “contracted to build three of the five MRAP variants,” and imply that the agreement covers all of them – if so, General Dynamics’ orders would also be covered. Further specifics were not included in BAE’s Oct 31/07 release
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Aug 7/07: $338.7 million for firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0003 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5028) to produce 600 RG-31 Category II MRAP vehicles. The 600 RG-31s will be manufactured by Demmer Corporation of Lansing, MI, with additional production coming from BAE OMC of Benoni, South Africa, in order to meet the urgent production schedule. Deliveries will be completed by March, 2008. GDLS release.
July 17/07: BAE Systems announces a lightweight form of “cage armor” for the RG-31. An initial contract will also see LROD installed on installed on U.S. Army RG-31 vehicles; the first 2 kits have been installed, and the US Army will procure 12 additional LROD kits for 2007 delivery to operational units in response to an Army Operational Need Statement. The Army has also expressed interest in procuring additional kits for the entire RG31 fleet.
See full DID coverage, including notes re: cage armor’s mode of operation against RPG anti-tank rockets and its limitations.
Feb 14/07: The Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA issued Limited Rate Initial Production (LRIP) orders for a number of MRAP contender vehicles. These firm-fixed-price delivery orders under previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts are not destined for the testing range – they are being issued to accelerate the production of “lower risk” (i.e. more complete and tested) vehicle designs for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. As part of the order, logistics support will continue up to two years after fielding [emphasis DID’s] for test and any production vehicles. Work will be performed by the manufacturers, and is expected to be complete in June 2007.
Feb 23/07: An $11 million delivery order for 10 Category I and 10 Category II MRAP vehicles (M67854-07-D-5028, order #002). Support will be provided from York, PA.
