Pentagon touts new, lighter vehicle for Afghanistan: "The Pentagon on Monday showed off a new, lighter armored vehicle built for the rugged roads of Afghanistan, saying it was rushing to ship the 'life-savers' to US troops.
The all-terrain vehicles were commissioned after US military commanders found that mine-resistant M-RAPs designed for Iraq were too big and cumbersome for Afghanistan.
'The terrain in Afghanistan is different from Iraq. It's more uneven, the roads are difficult to traverse. That's why we've had to create an all-terrain version,' Ashton Carter, under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told reporters.
Standing next to one of the new M-ATVs in front of the Pentagon building, Carter said flying the vehicles to Afghanistan was an urgent priority to help troops facing the lethal threat of homemade bombs.
'It will be a life-saver in Afghanistan,' Carter said.
The effort to produce the new vehicles had moved with unusual speed compared to previous defense programs that have often been plagued by delays, he said."
