MRAP Mine Resistant Ambush Protected

People are still screaming about all the Humvees that are getting blown up in Iraq that are being used as armoured cars. Now why in the world doesn't the US Military just buy some armoured cars like every other military? You've got the Hummer, then the Striker and Bradley, and nothing inbetween . Those guys in South Africa have been using tall V-hull trucks for ages.

Even in Vietnam, they created armoured trucks, and put shields and extra guns on the M113 to make the ACAV (which they're deploying to Iraq finally, but in tiny numbers) The Humvee isn't an armoured car, and it's still not a very good one even when you tack on armour. We used to, and still make a vehicle that designed precisely to do this sort of thing, get shot at and blown up and come back, it's the Caddilac Commando that the USAF use to use for base security. The latest version is the Textron M1117 AVS, it's designed to stand up to 50 cal armour piercing shot (the Sheridan light tank and M113 could'nt stand up to that), mines, and even RPGs minus a crewman or two. The Army has ordered these --- for Military Police units (?) Now does that make sense that front line soldiers fight in a un or minimally armoured Humvee, but security units BEHIND the lines get an armoured car?? The Navy / Marines are finally evaluating it as one of a number of proposed armoured trucks, but it's the only one with slanted sides.

For the price of a force of Bradleys, M-1s and Strikers, you could buy a bazillion of these.