Marines to purchase 1,050 additional MaxxPro Dash vehicles

The MRAP has not given way entirely to the M-ATV.  Not just yet, anyway.

Before Oshkosh Truck pulled off its notable victory in the M-ATV competition, the Pentagon had already tried to field a lighter version of the MRAP better suited to the terrain in Afghanistan.  Navistar came up the winner with its MaxxPro Dash before putting its MXT armored vehicle platform up to compete for the M-ATV contracts.

Apparently MRAP lite still has its uses:

Navistar Defense, LLC has been awarded a $752 million contract to provide 1,050 enhanced International MaxxPro Dash Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The vehicles under the contract from the U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command will include the DXM independent suspension solution.
(Transworldnews.com)

Navistar withdraws M-ATV protest

So reports The Wall Street Journal via Dow Jones newswires.

The story says that Navistar stock jumped when the news hit. That pretty much completes a demonstration of the way Wall Street reacts to rumors and incomplete information.

Supposedly the objection addressed a technicality, and Navistar worked it out with the Pentagon without making any details public.

If Navistar's stock rose above its pre-protest baseline, I can think of one reason why, all else being equal.

Supposing capable management, Navistar took a risk in protesting the selection process. They would presumably know that stock would take a hit. That risk makes sense if the resolved technicality offers a measurable advantage to the Navistar bid.

Then again, as somebody once said, where stupidity is the simplest explanation for risky behavior, stick with it.

Navistar protests M-ATV competition

Navistar International has apparently staged a protest of the M-ATV (all-terrain MRAP) competition. The grounds of the context remain unclear since Navistar successfully made it to the second round of that competition.

Navistar filed a protest of the contest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office on March 30, Michael Golden, the GAO's managing associate general counsel for procurement law, said in an interview today. The contest was under way at the time, and a GAO decision on the matter is due by July 8, he said.

Roy Wiley, spokesman for Navistar, confirmed the protest and declined to specify its legal basis because "the matter is under review."

(The Daily Herald)

Navistar's stock dropped on the announcement, according to the story. That makes sense, for one is not likely to protest a competition that one is winning handily.

Navistar's MaxxPro wrecker

All other things aside, Navistar has done a pretty nice job of presenting its military products. The videos have been well put together, and the company has worked hard to put its designs in people's minds when they think of MRAPs and the JLTV.

Click the link above the picture for more info on Navistar's latest.

clipped from media.navistar.com

Navistar's M-ATV

The MaxxPro Dash did not represent Navistar's entry in the M-ATV market, it seems.

The company offered up two prototypes for testing, basing the design on the MXT chassis. Recall that the British has chosen the MXT to serve a role in their military because of its mobility. As such, a version modified to take advantage of features like a v-shaped hull could represent a strong entry.

clipped from media.navistar.com

Designed to navigate Afghanistan’s rough terrain and perform in off-road conditions, Navistar’s M-ATV unit utilizes a specially-designed, light-weight armor, which is incorporated into the survivability system. While the platform of the company’s M-ATV vehicle varies from its MaxxPro MRAP, which is based on the International® WorkStar® platform, the smaller base allows Navistar’s unit to weigh significantly less than its MaxxPro Dash - the lightest of the company’s MRAP units and in service now in Afghanistan.

“We are proud to submit a vehicle based on our MXT platform, which was designed to fill a gap that existed between smaller traditional armored 4x4’s and larger transport vehicles,” said Archie Massicotte, president, Navistar Defense. “By utilizing our existing commercial platform, we are able to rapidly advance our vehicle design and provide the military with a product that supports mission needs in Afghanistan.”
(Navistar.com)

I wonder if the British will end up wanting the M-ATV version instead of the non-mine-protected MXTs they ordered.

Navistar wins another order for MaxxPro Dash

Navistar International continues to establish an impressive record in vying for armored vehicle contracts. Up through the summer of '08 the company was a close second to BAE Systems (maker of the RG-33 and the Caiman).

Navistar's initiative in developing the lighter MaxxPro Dash paid off with an order for 822 of the vehicles. On Dec. 11 the military ordered another 400. Since this order is for roughly the same number of vehicles ordered from BAE in March earlier this year, Navistar has overtaken BAE in that department.

They're doing something right at Navistar.

General Dynamics and Force Protection to produce test vehicles for MRAP lite

Though Navistar must be called the initial winner in the MRAP lite competition, Kris Osborn reports that two other companies received smaller orders from the Pentagon.

But Navistar may not remain the Pentagon’s sole source for the smaller MRAPs. The contract also provides $7 million apiece to General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada and Force Protection for five test vehicles.

All vehicles are slated to be delivered by February, according to the contract announcement. The vehicles will be deployed to Afghanistan, a senior Pentagon official said.

(Army Times)

I'll add that the choice of the MaxxPro for service in Afghanistan should contribute to lessen the perception that the Navistar MRAP is especially prone to rollover. Though to be fair that perception may be principally limited to Force Protection fans/agitators.

Navistar scores MRAP lite contract (Updated)

WARRENVILLE, Ill., Sep 04, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- (Navistar International Corporation NYSE:NAV) The U.S. Marine Corps today awarded Navistar Defense, LLC., a contract worth more than $752 million to produce a lighter, smaller and more mobile variant of its International(R) MaxxPro(TM) Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) family of vehicles.

The MaxxPro Dash maintains the survivability system used on all MaxxPro MRAP variants while also allowing for greater mobility in a smaller, lighter weight vehicle optimized for Afghanistan operations. A smaller turning radius and higher torque to weight ratio are among the improvements to mobility. MaxxPro Dash is also capable of accommodating additional uparmoring. Supportability and maintainability are maximized with a high-degree of commonality of parts among all MaxxPro variants.
(Marketwatch.com)

This is the first I've heard of the Dash. I expected that Force Protection might have the inside track on this contract because of the work they've put in developing the Cheetah. Navistar has shown itself a formidable competitor in the MRAP competition; this serves as additional evidence that the Navistar/BAE entry in the JLTV competition is one to watch.

No luck finding an image of the vehicle thus far. The Navistar Web site has brochures for their JLTV and FTTS vehicles as well as for the MaxxPro and MaxxPro Plus.

Update:
Army Times has a pic of the MaxxPro Dash.

Navistar awarded $57 million in MRAP contracts

The Pentagon on Friday awarded Navistar International a pair of contracts totaling about $57 million. Both contracts involve support services for and modifications to existing MaxxPro Cat I MRAP vehicles.

Navistar's MaxxPro snares series of gov't contracts

The introduction earlier this week of the Navistar's MaxxPro Plus has coincided closely with a series of big contracts meted out Friday by the Navy.

The series of five contract awards each consisted of a "firm-fixed-priced modification" to earlier delivery orders.

The orders totaled $707,017,416. Over $700 million. It would take over 700 Dr. Evils to extort that amount of money.

MaxxPro Plus

This photo from the Navistar site pictures a MaxxPro MRAP with armor add-ons reminiscent of those protecting the Mastiff version of the Force Protection Cougar (used by the British). The accompanying story refers to this week's unveiling of the MaxxPro Plus ... so if the uparmored vehicle pictured is not the MaxxPro Plus--blame Navistar.

clipped from media.navistar.com

Those who derisively call the MaxxPro the "MaxRoll" may anticipate a further heightening of the center of gravity with the armor kit.

MRAP orders: BAE Systems is the big winner

The initial news about last Friday's latest MRAP orders concentrated on the relative snub of Force Protection Inc. Certain other publications have emphasized the 700+ vehicles ordered from International Navistar.

And Force Protection and Navistar should be very worried and pleased, respectively, but the stories thus far have underemphasized the growing dominance of BAE Systems.

BAE, together with subsidiary Armor Holdings, finished a close second with the last round of orders but moved past Navistar with a heavily armored whoosh.

Vehicle orders:




The Armor Holding order apparently consists of 1,024 Caiman MRAPs.
The BAE order is made of of RG-33's including the ambulance variant.
The Navistar order will be filled with MaxxPro MRAPs.
The Force Protection order includes 11 of the Cat. III Buffalo with the rest made of of 12 Cat. I Cougars and six Cat. II Cougars.

The Pentagon cash prize of $1,136,458,248 goes to ...



BAE Systems has positioned itself extremely well in the JLTV competition through its partnerships with Lockheed Martin and Navistar. Lockheed formed its JLTV partnership with Armor Holdings, since last year a BAE subsidiary and BAE inherited the relationship.

Navistar has performed well in the MRAP competition in its own right.



Corrected description of Lockheed Martin/Armor Holdings JLTV partnership
Corrected reference to "Force Protection Industries"

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New MRAP contracts; Caiman included? (Updated)

Navistar International, BAE Systems and Force Protection were again the MRAP producers who squeezed out the other competitors for new MRAP contracts.

Whether as part of the Marine Corps demand for a lighter vehicle as I guessed some days ago or for some other reason, a chunk of the orders received by BAE Systems were through its subsidiary Stewart & Stevenson (Armor Holdings), the maker of the Caiman.

Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle, Division of Armor Holdings, Sealy, Texas, is being awarded $458,128,283 for a firm-fixed-priced delivery order #0003 under previously awarded contract (M67854-07-D-5030) to purchase 668 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Category II (CAT II) vehicles with CAT I seating configuration, sustainment parts and engineering change proposals.
(defenselink.mil)

The earlier Caiman order only included a very few Cat II versions of the Caiman but plenty of the Cat I. My expectation that the Marines might still be interested in the Caiman was based on the small size of the Cat I version, while this order consists of Cat IIs "with Cat I seating configuration."

Dividing up $2,644,490,914

Some predicted that Force Protection might eventually get squeezed out of the market when larger defense contractors started competing in the MRAP competition. This collection of contracts seems to confirm that prediction, though it's also true that the U.S. has been negotiating with the Brits to enable quick production of vehicles our allies would like to order. That order isn't particularly large, however. If Force Protection isn't making up the orders somewhere else (more Badgers?) then this contract announcement isn't good for them.

Update:

While I'm playing with graphs, I might was well include one showing the respective number of vehicles. All the MaxxPros are Cat I. Cat IIs tend to cost more.

I don't guarantee that I've correctly identified the vehicle names, by the way.

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MaxxPro in Iraq: another video

That back door would probably be a drag if the hydraulic system went on the fritz.

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MaxxPro in Baghdad video

Just on a lark I decided to see if the recent news of MaxxPros showing up in Baghdad coincided with the release of a video.

Jackpot.

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Winnowing the field of MRAP producers

The U.S. military has reached the point where it can begin to move closer to its customary methods of equipment acquisition. The need to get as many MRAPs as possible to the theater of war in Iraq and Afghanistan resulted in an unusually high number of companies producing vehicles for the armed services. The MRAP II evaluations (apparently) helped the military narrow the field to three manufacturers.

While the Pentagon has yet to officially announce its decision, only three vendors will receive follow-on orders expected by early December 2007. According to Pentagon officials, the three vendors that already received the current orders will continue to get future business as they could sustain 1,200 vehicles per month. These vendors include International Military & Government (IMG) company and Force protection International (FPI) will both become exclusive providers for Category I (4x4) vehicles, while FPI and BAE Systems will continue to deliver the heavier Category II (mostly 6x6) vehicles. BAE Systems' Category II (RG-33) vehicles were recently selected through a mini MRAP competition as the preferred design for 400 ambulance variants which the department is now purchasing. Sofar the Pentagon accelerated orders of Category I vehicles but since these vehicles will be more difficult to receive armor upgrades, the current preference is leaning toward heavier Category II platforms.
(Defense Update)

The story's chock full of information, so stopping by Defense Update to read the whole of it is recommended.

The news is bad, of course, for Ceradyne and PVI.

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Rear view of Navistar MaxxPro

Well, I found it interesting, since it's an angle I haven't seen before.

clipped from www.armyrecognition.com

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Breakdown of new MRAP order

As reported here, the armed services have ordered another 2,400 MRAPs, with Navistar International filling plurality of the order with 1,000 MaxxPro vehicles.

Navistar International Corp. on Thursday received a $509-million order for an additional 1,000 armored trucks for U.S. soldiers Iraq and Afghanistan. The latest order from the Marine Corps raised Navistar’s total orders for the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) trucks to 2,971 since May.
(Chicago Business)

Force Protection received an order for 800 vehicles. I almost reported the wrong number because of this story:

Force Protection Industries (FRPT) has been awarded a $376M contract for 553 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles according to the Department of Defense website
(tradingmarkets.com)

A closer read of the contract announcement revealed that Force Protection received orders for 800 vehicles of which 553 were Cat. I and the remainder were Cat II.

BAE Systems collected the 600 remaining vehicle orders, including 112 Cat. II "ambulance variant" models and 89 "special operations command variants."

Though I earlier reported these orders as an outcome of MRAP II evaluation, that very well may not be the case. The timing, at least, was coincidental.


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Early winners in MRAP II (Updated/corrected)

Pentagon officials have awarded three companies with contracts to build Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, a Defense Department official said on Thursday.

The firms are Navistar International, BAE Systems and Force Protection, chosen from a field of at least five vendors, industry sources said.

(Marine Times)

For those keeping track at home, these prompt orders reflect success fom the MaxxPro, RG-30-something and probably the Cougar from Force Protection.

It is worth noting that the lighter MRAP from Armor Holdings, the Caiman, did not compete for MRAP II, no doubt because of its purchase this past summer by BAE systems.

The early results suggest that Mr. Zippy's analysis (the Zipster may be connected directly to Force Protection, the maker of the Cougar) was essentially accurate.

Update:
The DOD Web site makes clear that the new round of orders represents an expansion on existing contracts. That places doubt on my conclusion that these recent orders are associated with the MRAP II program. It seems significant that Navistar will fill 1,000 of the 2,400 vehicle order.


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Navistar's MaxxPro MRAP: No V-shaped hull (Updated)

Navistar International has been understandably mum about the design of its MaxxPro MRAP.

The photos gave no indication of the V-shaped hull characteristic of most MRAPs. Evidently it wasn't just the company's ability to churn out product that led to the company's success in the MRAP I competition.

But one outsider has emerged as a Pentagon favorite. Navistar International Corp., which mostly builds trucks for civilian markets, came seemingly out of nowhere in May to win a 1,200-vehicle order for its 20-ton MaxxPro design. The Illinois-based company followed up with an order in July for another 700 trucks. Production contracts total around $1 billion. Navistar officials credit a novel design, excellent test results and the company's huge manufacturing capacity and worldwide logistics infrastructure.

"Our design is unique," says Bob Walsh, assistant general manager for military vehicles. "We have an armored body on a chassis. It does a good job of redirecting energy [from bomb blasts]." Its ease of repair is also a plus. "Being a cab-on-chassis, you're able to pull off the body and slide a new chassis in there."

(Aviation Week)

An early artist's conception of the vehicle offered a clue as to at least one of the strategies the company uses to re-direct energy. Note the hinges that appear periodically where the body rests on the chassis.

Well, fiddlesticks. I can't for the life of me re-locate that image. Should have saved it when I had the chance. Trust me, there were some hinge-like fittings that appeared to allow the body to lift off the chassis. The axis points were offset so that the body would move up and then forward, I believe (trying to remember the direction of the offset from memory).

Update:
(Dec. 4, 2007) I eventually located the photo and posted it. Resulting commentary indicated that the structures are not hinges at all, and even if the MaxxPro has some additional features that help redirect blast energy the basic design (by most accounts) seems to be a V-shaped hull regardless of the superficial appearance of the vehicle.