Congress Clears Leahy-Led Boost
For Next Generation Of Armored Vehicles
Engineered For The Tough Terrain Of Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (THURSDAY, June 18) – The U.S. Senate late Thursday passed
and now will send to the President a funding bill that reflects a push
by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to boost development of tougher and
more agile armored vehicles and other equipment needed by U.S. troops in
the rugged terrain of Afghanistan.
The Senate approved the final Fiscal Year 2009 supplemental
appropriations bill in a vote of 91 to 5. As chairman of the Senate’s
96-member National Guard Caucus, Leahy worked with caucus co-chair
Senator Kit Bond (R-Mo.) and others to secure an additional $500 million
for Guard and Reserves equipment. Gear purchased through this
account allows the Guard to supply its units, including Vermont’s 86th
Infantry Brigade (Mountain), with high-performance equipment from body
armor to rifles and night-vision devices. Leahy also is a senior
member of the Appropriations Committee, which wrote the Senate’s version
of the bill, and of the panel’s Defense Subcommittee.
The bill also includes an additional $1.9 billion sought by Leahy to
accelerate the fielding of the so-called MRAP-All-Terrain-Vehicle
program – a new version of the highly armored vehicle that is being
specially designed to operate in Afghanistan’s rugged geography.
The Department of Defense has accelerated development of the MRAP-ATV
with the goal of shipping the first units to Afghanistan as soon as the
end of this year.
Leahy worked closely with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Defense
Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) to ensure
full funding is available for this new version of the MRAP, which will
have independent suspension and a lower center-of-gravity while keeping
the same level of protection as the original version of the MRAP, which
Leahy said has saved countless lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. The
additional funding secured by Leahy and his allies will bring the total
amount in the bill for all types of MRAPs to $4.5 billion.
Visiting U.S. troops last month in Afghanistan and Iraq, Leahy came away
further convinced of the need for the improved armored vehicle –
especially in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan. Vermont
National Guard troops are expected to be deployed to Afghanistan next
year.
When Leahy returned he assured Vermont Adjutant General Michael Dubie
that Leahy would do all he could to make sure the Vermont Guard has the
resources they need. “I heard from top commanders and troops alike
about how important the MRAP vehicles are to our operations,” said
Leahy. “These improvements will make it a better match for the
mountains and valleys of Afghanistan. The Defense Department now will
have more resources to get this next generation armored vehicle into
production and into use by our troops. I hope it will be fielded
widely in the country before, during and after our Vermonters begin
arriving there.”
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