See the behemoth above?
It’s a 19-ton armored vehicle, specifically a MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle manufactured by Navistar Defense.
19 tons = 41,887lb 13.331oz !!!
Wikipedia describes MRAP as “a family of armored fighting vehicles used by the US armed forces, among others. The purpose of the design is surviving improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes.”
Here’s Navistar Defense’s description of the MaxxPro MRAP:
The International® MaxxPro® is Navistar Defense’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle and incorporates the latest design in armoring technology. Extensively tested by the military and used in theater today, the MaxxPro features a V-shaped hull and other design features that greatly improve survivability.
MaxxPro® MRAP specifications:
Length: 254″ (21.2 feet)
Width: 102″ (8.5 feet)
Height: 120″ (10 feet)
Wheel base: 153″ (12.8 feet)
Curb weight: 37,850 lbs. (18.9 tons)
Engine: MaxxForce® 9.3
The MaxxPro MRAP is built to withstand ballistic arms fire, mine blasts, IEDs, and other emerging threats. Its V-shaped hull helps deflect blasts out and away from the crew and its armoring can be customized to meet any mission requirement.
MaxxPro means “Maximum Protection.”
Ken Jorgustin of Modern Survival Blog writes on Sept. 6, 2012, that Navistar Defense delivered 9,000 of the MaxxPro MRAP vehicles to the U.S. military, but that 2,717 of those armored vehicles were “retrofitted” for service on the streets of the United States and acquired by Obama’s Department of Homeland Security.
Those 2,717 Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected armored vehicles are in addition to the DHS’ recent purchase of an additional purchase of 21.6 million rounds of ammunition, to add to the 1.6 billion hollow-point bullets, high explosives, and high-powered battle rifles that DHS already obtained in the course of the past year.
Already, DHS and US military armored vehicles have been seen on the streets of residential America:
- U.S. Army tanks on the streets of St. Louis in June 2012:
- A caravan of DHS black Humvees and MRAPs in September 2012.
The title of this post asks:
Why does Dept of Homeland Security need thousands of mine-resistant armored vehicles?
These MaxxPro MRAPs are designed for war, for maximum protection against ballistic arms fire, mine blasts, and IED explosives. Where’s the war?
A better question is:
What does DHS intend to do with thousands of mine-resistant armored vehicles on the streets of America?
~Eowyn
