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The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Essay

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The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle debate’s primary focus was on the

unspoken concern of the actual cost of the mammoth vehicles. What followed was a blend of

discussions ranging from financial costs to lives cost on the battlefield. A different debate

centered on the size of the vehicles, which separated the soldiers from the population, and

counter to the idea of counterinsurgency. While the MRAP procurement was different from the

typical acquisition program, the success of the program was because of a collaborative effort by

the Department of Defense (DOD) to change the acquisition process, while contractors absorbed

financial risk to develop and build a product with no certainty of gaining a lucrative long-term

contract. While the future security of the nation relies on forces armed with the best equipment,

the United States must continue to develop and refine the acquisition process initiated during the

fielding of the MRAP. The DOD along with the legislative branch can refine the process by

removing regulations, accepting risk and avoiding any delay in equipment fielding while

working within the acquisition community to collaborate with those manufacturers willing to

produce the best weapons, equipment, and technology for the armed forces.

The strategic environment in 2004 was rapidly changing with insurgents utilizing improvised

explosive devices (IEDs) and the more lethal explosively formed penetrators (EFPs). Initial

forces entered

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