Forbes Miscellany II. [Conclusion]

This is coolbert:

More from Forbes magazine. [October 30, 2006 issue]

Regarding the corporation Armor Holdings. Providing the armor up-grade kits for the Humvees as being used in Iraq.

“In 2003 Armor outfitted 51 Humvees a month. A year later it was doing 450 a month, at an average of $65,000 each.”

It is that price that caught my eye. A single armor up-grade kit for one Humvee costs $65,000??

That would seem to be a significant percentage of what an UNARMORED Humvee would cost. What does the Army pay for a stripped down basic Humvee? Don’t know. Providing an armor kit almost doubles the cost of the vehicle?!

Those armor up-graded Humvees have to be under a lot of mechanical stress. Was the Humvee designed from the start to accommodate the armor up-grade? I would think the additional weight of the armor up-grade MUST place a lot of wear and tear on all mechanical assemblies of the Humvee. Engine, transmission, tires, frame, etc. ALL must get a LOT of unanticipated wear and tear. Couple that with overuse [abuse] and the talcum-like powdery sand of Iraq and you have the potential for an entire generation of Humvee to be rendered to the scrap heap as being unrepairable and unserviceable!!??

Here is the future of combat vehicles? Already being used in Iraq with success!

The Buffalo, Cougar, and Cheetah. Described as multi-purpose combat vehicles [MPCV]. Built by Force Protection Industries.



The Buffalo seems to be a more advanced version of the South African developed Buffel/Hippo/Casspir family of combat vehicles?

High ground clearance, vee-shaped hull [for blast protection], better armor, etc.

[The Buffalo should be known colloquially as the BUS [Big Ugly Sucker]]

Effective, combat proven vehicle with well thought out features, having gone through a Darwinian selection process of improvements during the seemingly never-ending series of “bush wars” fought in Southern Africa during the latter part of the 20th century.



[I am curious to know if the Buffalo has the tank of water directly above the vee-shaped hull. The South African Buffel for instance, did so have this feature. Allowed for additional mitigation of blast from a mine detonation.]

“Not a single serviceman has been killed riding in the 23-ton Buffalo vehicle or the 17-ton Cougar urban fighting vehicle used in thousands of mission on the bloodiest routes in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Buffalo is the future??!! The future is NOW??!!

coolbert.