Tell-Tale MRAPS

Tell-Tale MRAPS

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Description

This commentary critiques a Washington Free Beacon article and associated unpublished study regarding the Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle procurement process during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The author argues that the Free Beacon and its source misrepresent congressional and Pentagon decision-making on MRAP deployment, obscuring key lessons about bureaucratic inertia and military procurement. Drawing on historical evidence, the article highlights the bipartisan nature of early congressional concern over armored protection, the effectiveness of MRAPs in reducing casualty rates compared with up-armored Humvees, and the long delay in widespread MRAP acquisition until intervention by then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. The piece concludes that the discourse around MRAPs offers broader insights into systemic obstacles within Pentagon decision-making, with implications for future defense acquisition reform.

Document Type

Article

Topic(s)

Defense Policy, National Security, Military Strategy

Region(s)

United States, Middle East

Publication Date

5-2-2017

Keywords

MRAP, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, military procurement, Pentagon decision-making, Robert Gates, Humvee, congressional oversight, Iraq War, Afghanistan, battlefield protection, defense reform

Tell-Tale MRAPS

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