YUMA PROVING
GROUND, Ariz. – Joint forces from the U.S. Army Operational Test
Command (OTC) and Marine Corps Operational Test and Evaluation
Activity (MCOTEA) completed testing of 16 Mine Resistant Ambush
Protected (MRAP) vehicles on Nov. 13.
Nearly 280
members of the test team, consisting of representatives of all Armed
Forces, spent a month and a half of preparation and training in
order to test multiple facets of the MRAP vehicles produced by Force
Protection, Inc.
“We successfully
executed the testing as planned,” said Lt. Col. Fred Corbin, a test
officer with OTC.
The MRAP vehicle
was designed with a V-shaped bottom and raised frame in order to
protect Army soldiers and Marines from IEDs, mines and other
volatile threats.
Units from the
10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum, N.Y., and the
First Marine Expeditionary Force provided Army soldiers and Marines
for this phase of operational testing of the MRAP vehicle.
According to
Corbin, the test units encountered simulated IEDs and various
threats during operational missions.
Missions
included, but were not limited to, live-fire engagement, raids,
route clearing, vehicle recovery, cordon and search, and convoy
operations.
“The units
received an operations order and executed their mission using normal
tactics, techniques and procedures in a realistic environment,” said
Corbin. “We had soldiers acting as both civilians and enemy
force that they (the units) would encounter during their mission.”
During testing,
soldiers and Marines gave feedback on the system through reviews,
comment cards and surveys, said Corbin.
Soldiers and
Marines can make recommendations on improvements they would like to
see on the vehicle.
The Marines will
evaluate the collected data and produce the official test report for
this phase of testing.
“They (soldiers
and Marines) are operating the vehicle during testing, so it’s
imperative to capture their feedback,” said Corbin. “In the
long run, they’re the ones that are going to be using that system
(in theater).”
OTC and MCOTEA
will resume testing of the MRAP vehicle in 2008, using other vendors
and different Army and Marine units.