Armor innovation needs to stay on fast track.

• Author: Farrell, Lawrence P., Jr.

As violence against U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan continues at a steady pace, many wonder what can be done to neutralize the roadside bombs that have become the single most lethal weapon there.

In battlefields such as Iraq, with no definable frontline and no distinctions between forward and rear areas, there is no question that protecting our vehicles has become more important than ever.

Trucks such as the Humvee and other larger transports have been targets of improvised explosive devices since the early stages of the war, and continue to take hits on a daily basis.

To its credit, the Army did a remarkable job rushing deliveries of armor kits for Humvees and other trucks. It also ramped up production of new armored Humvees to more than 500 a month. The Army Materiel Command reports it has met 100 percent of the armor requests from the theater. It has delivered 13,872 kits for Humvees, 3,568 for the FMTV (family of medium tactical vehicles), 2,309 for the HEMTT (heavy expanded mobility tactical trucks) and 6,610 for various other heavy cargo vehicles and tractor line-haul trucks. Only 65 kits remain to be shipped by the end of the month.

Clearly, the armoring program has helped save many lives, as attested by soldiers in hundreds of media reports.

The war in Iraq also has highlighted the value of mine-protected vehicles. Unlike most military trucks, which were not designed originally to be armored, these MPVs typically feature V-shaped hulls that help deflect blasts, and custom axles and drive trains that were conceived specifically to help the vehicle survive mine explosions.

Interestingly, the MPVs saw their genesis at a time of another war that had no front lines: the so-called "Bush Wars" in southern Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. Back then, logistics troops also had to be trained and equipped to operate in a combat environment that saw frequent use of mines and ambushes. One of the legacies from that war was the spread of the technology to engineer and build MPVs, most notably by the governments of South Africa and Namibia. The South African Defense Forces further developed the concept and produced vehicles that not only could protect crews, but also could be rapidly repaired after being hit.

Other major players in this market are companies in Australia and Canada. In the United States, companies such as Force Protection Inc. produce mine-protected vehicles for the Army and Marine Corps. And BAE Systems Land & Armaments acquired...