Navistar to Upgrade US Army's MaxxPro Dash MRAP Vehicles

Navistar Defense has been awarded a contract for delivery of survivability upgrade retrofit kits for the US Army's fleet of International MaxxPro Dash mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles.

Awarded by the US Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC), the $282m deal covers delivery of more than 2,300 kits along with spare parts and support services to the army.

The kits have been designed to provide enhanced protection for the MaxxPro Dash vehicles to better defeat a wide range of emerging threats in Afghanistan. Navistar Defense president Archie Massicotte said the company was aware of the balance required to keep military personnel well equipped at a reasonable cost to US taxpayers.

"We will keep offering integrated solutions as well as alternatives to buying new vehicles so that we can keep our armed forces modern and ready for future operations," Massicotte added. The deal follows an $880m delivery contract awarded by the US Marine Corps System Command (USMC) in January, for retrofitting its fleet of 2,717 international MaxxPro MRAP vehicles with MaxxPro rolling chassis body swap solution.

Also ordered were a DXM independent suspension, a MaxxForce 9.3 engine, a 570-amp alternator and a driveline to further enhance the vehicle's off-road capability.

International MaxxPro Dash is a lighter and mobile variant of the basic MaxxPro MRAP vehicles manufactured by Navistar in 2008, especially for conducting operations in rugged Afghanistan terrain.

The vehicles also feature additional armouring and spare parts that can be used across the whole MaxxPro MRAPs fleet, which is designed to withstand improvised explosive device (IED) attacks, ambushes, ballistic arms fire and mine blasts.

Survivability upgrades are scheduled to start in Afghanistan in December 2012 and be complete by July 2013.