When my finals are done I will post some pics of my gun-truck for the move from Doha to Baghdad. M998 with some plywood and rubber mats, flack-jackets stuffed in the doors, sand bags in the floor... that was a LONG drive.
As for the ASV's....
We started fielding the M1117's in '00 and had major problems with them. They are similar to the V-100, but it is more than just an upgraded unit. Like any good GM product the transmissions are crap, and require too much down time for simple repairs. We had one snap it's steering linkage in a small ditch while training in Kuwait... 7mo later we found it stuck in a big field off BIAP with the still broken steering. It required a full disassembly of the front end of the vehicle to replace the unit. The armor is designed for up to 7.62 AP, and 12.75 ball... but it doesn't defend very well. One of the Arty units working as MP's in my BN during OIF II was hit by an IED/anti-armor claymore. Sadly all three crew-men, guys I knew well, were all killed in the blast. The 1/2" ball bearings went in once side and out the other, if not they just ricocheted around the inside... it was an ugly scene. The biggest problem with the vehicle is the HUGE blind spot behind. You can walk right up on the butt of the things, toss a satchel charge on the back, and run away... ask me how I know. Too bad the Army didn't learn with the V100's and mount some form of weapon/gunner facing the rear on that thing.
When we were still doing the initial fielding we discovered the vehicles nasty problem... During a downhill run with a very shallow turn, the front knuckle on the outside of the curve detached from the vehicle (broken mounts and bolts) causing the ASV to cart-wheel. A girl in my platoon was buckled into the "jump seat", during the roll-over the side doors were torn from the vehicle, her seat was broken from its mounts and she was ejected. The vehicle rolled over her, still sitting in the seat. Thankfully it was in Yakima, and the ground was soft enough to give and only put her in the hospital for a few weeks. The gunner of that vehicle was standing out of the turret, unable to drop into the truck during the roll was crushed between the turret and the ground. He spent months in a comma. About that time we learned the Marines were having similar issues with the ASV, and were debating bringing it into full service... don't think they did.
I think the best way to protect the troops from getting shot up and killed with IED's is to pull them the **** out of that place... all of them.
hey driver, thanks for the pics. oh the memories.
we were a 5 ton company, 923's and such. rolled outta kuwait with the steel door "uparmor". amazingly, nothing happened for the month or so that we did missions like that. then, we aquired some steel boxes for the beds. made me feel a little better being back there. aboot april, we got 1114's. i put the old 2nd armored "**** on wheels" mark on my trucks that i usually gunned on...
good times
When were you there? Sounds like the same generation of armor I had.
I was with 571st MP Co out of Camp Muleskinner/Cuervo from Dec '03-Jan '05