What you need to know about armoured vehicles which Uhuru launched
What it is a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle?
This is the most effective counter any military crew can have to Improvised Explosive Devices (IED). It is also very effective in case of an ambush. It is the same hardware that President Uhuru Kenyatta launched on Monday at Uhuru Park.
History
Introduced in the 1970’s, MRAP vehicles were created by the Rhodesian Army during the Rhodesian Bush War. It has undergone a few modifications since, but the design and workings remain the same.
Largest fleet of MRAP was used between 2007-2012 by PENTAGON during the War in Afghanistan and War in Iraq. A total of 12,000 MRAPs were used by the US military over there.
Features
V-Shaped Hulls-Increases vehicle and crew survival. The hull deflects an upward directed blast like from an IED or land mine away from the vehicle.
It possesses a blast resistant underbody to protect both the vehicle and the crew from explosives.
Has an armored V-Hull crew compartment within the truck.
It has armored Plating and layers of thick armored glass to protect it from regular gun power and Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) rounds.
It can operate in all terrains; mountains, urban and rural. This is because of its all-terrain suspension and run-flat tires.
The truck is powered by MaxxForce D9.316 diesel engine.
MRAP weighs between 14-18 tons each with an approximate height of 9 feet high (2.74 m high).
MRAP costs between $500, 000-$1,000,000 depending on any add-on armor or technological enhancements. It costs three times as much as regular medium armored vehicles.
Effectiveness
According to US defense statistics, the casualty rate by 2008 of MRAP crew members was 6 percent. 9 points lower than that of M1Abrams tank which was the closest. The regular Humvee had it worse at 22 percent.
Out of the 500 vehicles flagged off by president Uhuru Kenyatta, 25 Mine Resistant Personal Carriers and 35 Armored Personnel Carriers will be sent to the terror stricken border regions.
