Army's 2.5-ton trucks undergo overhaul.

• Author: Jean, Grace V.
• Position: Tactical Vehicles

Army trucks will be overhauled to "like-new" condition at Red River Army Depot in Texas for roughly half the cost of buying new models.

The Army awarded a $20.5 million contract to BAE Systems in September to refurbish--of "reset" in Army-speak--200 of its family of medium tactical vehicles 2.5-ton trucks. The FMTV has been in production since 1991 and comes in 21 variants, including troop carriers, cargo carriers, vans, dump trucks and recovery vehicles.

Trucks are deemed candidates for refurbishment if Army engineers determine that they are more economical to repair than to replace with a new vehicle. They have accumulated anywhere from 500 miles to more than 50,000 miles.

Some of the trucks with lower mileage may have been badly damaged in training exercises or in actual combat by roadside bombs.

Before the trucks move down the production line, 70 to 90 parts, such as hoses and filters, ate removed and replaced. Once on the line, reconditioned engines, transmissions and axles ate installed and a technical inspection determines other parts to be repaired of replaced, says Daryl Gore, director for logistics programs at BAE Systems' mobility and protection systems division.

Each truck is to be refurbished in 90 to 100 days. The goal is to reset about 30 trucks per month to meet the Army's completion deadline in September.

"We've been doing this for two and a half years. We know what the hard-to-get parts ate," Gore says.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Threats of roadside bombs and other explosives have prompted manufacturers to evolve cabs with better protection in recent years. Newer FMTV models have incorporated armor and other materials to boost survivability. But the first-run FMTVs, such as those going through...