At this point, roadside bombs in Iraq account for about 70% of all U.S. deaths. Advanced Humvee armor kits could help save Americans lives, but the overstretched military still doesn’t have the equipment it needs.
The Army is working to fill a shortfall in Iraq of thousands of advanced Humvee armor kits designed to reduce U.S. troop deaths from roadside bombs — including a rising threat from particularly lethal weapons linked to Iran and known as “explosively formed penetrators” (EFP) — that are now inflicting 70 percent of the American casualties in the country, according to U.S. military and civilian officials.
The additional protection is needed for thousands of U.S. reinforcement troops flowing into Baghdad, where these devastating weapons — used primarily by Shiite fighters — are particularly prevalent, the officials said.
U.S. Army units in Iraq and Afghanistan lack more than 4,000 of the latest Humvee armor kit, known as FRAG Kit 5, according to U.S. officials. The Army has ramped up production of the armor, giving priority to troops in Baghdad, but the upgrade is not scheduled to be completed until this summer, Army officials said.
You’ll notice, of course, that “this summer” is not the same as “now.” Indeed, the so-called “surge” started last week. In other words, Bush’s escalation policy deploys at least 21,500 additional U.S. troops into Iraq — without the necessary equipment to help protect troops against the most deadly enemy tactic they’ll encounter.
What’s worse, this isn’t a new problem.
The Army began the Iraq war with an estimated $56 billion equipment shortage and has struggled to keep up with demands for new armor to protect against increasingly deadly bombs. In the case of FRAG Kit 5, the Army quickly produced a bolt-on version in limited quantities, while the permanent version has taken longer than expected to develop, test, produce and install. Meanwhile, the unexpected deployment of five additional Army brigades into Baghdad has created an urgent need for 2,000 Humvees with the new armor. […]
Fewer than half the Army’s roughly 14,500 up-armored Humvees in Iraq and Afghanistan have been outfitted with the bolt-on version of FRAG Kit 5. Thousands of the permanent kits have been flown to Iraq and are being installed at 11 locations around the country, officials said. Over the next six months, the Army plans to produce 5,000 more Humvees with the permanent kits already installed, Anderson said.
Overall, Army equipment backlogs had grown so severe, Anderson said, such a troop increase would not have been possible last year. He said the Army is in a far better position now, thanks to an infusion of $17 billion last year to replace and repair equipment.
Still, Pace said last week that U.S. troops will face a gap of up-armored Humvees and other armored vehicles that will not be closed until July, and according to the Pentagon, commanders will be required to share 500 up-armored vehicles. But the Army said it is not short of up-armored Humvees in Iraq.
When Dems blast Bush for sending troops into battle without the equipment they need, this is what they’re talking about.