Navistar International Corp. recently announced that its military subsidiary, International Military and Government, has received an incremental order from the U.S. Marine Corps for 755 additional Category I Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles valued at about $414 million to be delivered by the end of February 2008.
The current order brings International’s total orders due by February 2008 to 1,971 MRAPs totaling more than $1.045 billion. The International MaxxPro military vehicle is the Category I MRAP offering from International Military and Government designed to protect troops from roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices.
“The urgency to rapidly deliver these life-saving armored vehicles to our military forces is clear,” says Daniel C. Ustian, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Navistar International Corp., based in Warrenville, Ill. “We are working with the U.S. military and our supply base to increase our production capacity at our facilities to meet the aggressive demand and provide these MRAP vehicles into the hands of our Marines, soldiers and sailors as quickly as possible. Every day of production is critical. We are honored and proud to be providing these mission-critical vehicles to the U.S. military.”
“We are leveraging our manufacturing expertise in the commercial truck and engine industry to provide quality, durable military vehicles as fast as possible,” says Archie Massicotte, president of International Military and Government. “As the largest commercial truck and mid-range diesel engine manufacturer in North America, we offer a number of advantages: We produced over 161,000 commercial vehicles last year, we know how to mass-produce quality vehicles, we manufacture our own diesel engines, we’ve forged strong relationships with a number of key suppliers, and we provide comprehensive global parts and service support for these trucks. So when the U.S. military needs vehicles, we have a proven track record and existing infrastructure to deliver quickly and efficiently.”
International says it utilizes a state-of-the-art modular armor concept, developed in conjunction with Plasan Sasa, to armor its MaxxPro vehicles. Plasan Sasa, a provider of armor solutions, says it is expanding its capacity and focusing dedicated resources on meeting the increasing MRAP demand for MaxxPro vehicles. The design positions the V-shaped crew compartment on top of International’s heavy-duty truck chassis. The V-shaped hull is designed to deflect blasts away from the truck to minimize impact around the crew area.
“For the sake of our brave men and women serving in the Middle East, we are committed to delivering these MRAP vehicles as soon as possible,” Massicotte says. “Our truck production team and armor experts in Texas and Mississippi are focused and dedicated to producing these MRAP units that save the lives of our Armed Forces. It is a privilege for us to be part of this important mission.”