Guardian angels on battlefield: Rise of MRAP armored vehicles and their vital role in combat

This type of military vehicle hasn't garnered the same media frenzy as Bayraktar drones, HIMARS rocket launchers, F-16 fighter jets, or Leopard tanks, but its importance in the course of combat operations is hard to overstate. Transporting troops to the frontline, evacuation, crew protection in incredibly challenging situations, and enabling swift maneuvers – this is all about MRAP armored vehicles.

Liga.Tech will tell the story of the emergence and history of this type of equipment, its strengths and weaknesses, which models are in service with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and which ones the domestic defense industry is planning to manufacture.

Africa sets the trend

The term MRAP is an acronym for Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected. Initially, this term was used only in the classification of the U.S. Army, but over time, as is often the case, it became a universal name for all vehicles with a similar concept.

The defining features of MRAPs are:

• The V-shaped bottom helps dissipate the energy of the explosion sideways from the cabin. It differs from the usual flat bottom in having greater thickness, which reduces the chances of a cumulative jet penetrating it.

• Armored protection: heavy armor plates are installed on the vehicle's body to protect against small arms fire and shrapnel.

• High ground clearance is necessary for better off-road capability.

The Austrian ADGZ armored car, developed in the early 1930s, can be considered the progenitor of this class of vehicle. It had a V-shaped bottom, double wheels on the central axles, and an interesting design feature – instead of a rear, there was another driver's seat. In total, about half a hundred copies were produced.

Although mines were actively used on all fronts of World War II, no one picked up on the idea of the Austrian designers about a mine-resistant armored car. Minefields were bypassed, and if that was not possible, sappers or tanks equipped with special tracks or rollers came into play.

Africa can be considered the birthplace of MRAPs in the modern sense. In the 1960s, the civil war in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and the Border Wars between South Africa and Namibia, Angola and Zambia broke out there.

Rebel groups and various tribes actively used various mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which not only led to significant personnel losses, but also reduced the morale of the military.

South African engineers set about developing an armored vehicle capable of withstanding an explosion under the bottom or wheels. To achieve this, a V-shaped bottom, increased ground clearance, and detachable suspension components were used. However, the key factor in improving the protective effectiveness was a separate armored crew compartment, which was called the "citadel".

The result of these developments were the Rhodesian Spook, Leopard, Crocodile, Pookie, and MAP75, as well as the South African armored vehicles Hippo, Ystervark, Bosvark, Buffel, and Casspir. The latter model is considered particularly successful: it has been in service since the 1980s, has received dozens of variants, and has been purchased by 24 countries, including India, Saudi Arabia, and even the United States. UN missions operating in the region also began to actively use similar armored vehicles.

So, you can say that South Africa and the now non-existent state of Rhodesia were the pioneers in the field of mine-protected vehicles. However, it was the American defense industry that developed and brought them to a new level, facing new challenges after the invasion of Iraq.

Cougar and "animals" from other countries

The Humvee became the main workhorse of the U.S. contingent in this Middle Eastern country. They were used for guarding facilities, patrolling, and simply transporting cargo and personnel. However, as the resistance of various insurgent groups grew, the inherent shortcoming of Arnold Schwarzenegger's favorite vehicle became increasingly apparent: it could protect against enemy small arms fire, but not against IEDs.

Sapper inspections of all potential explosive placement sites were far too resource-intensive, and all attempts to improve the protection of the Humvee did not have the desired effect. This is why the Pentagon began to think about developing a new vehicle capable of handling this challenge.

In 2004, Force Protection Inc. began supplying the U.S. Marine Corps with the first MRAP vehicle called the Cougar. The designers built on the idea of their South African colleagues with the "citadel", creating a protective capsule for the crew. It was made of hardened steel and composite materials. Layers of Kevlar and ceramic plates were designed to absorb and dissipate the energy of the explosion, but at the same time, not make the vehicle too heavy.

The increased chances of survival in the event of an explosion were also ensured by special shock-absorbing seat mounts, additional armor layers on the doors with an opening mechanism even after serious damage, and an ergonomic interior design with a minimum of sharp edges. The windows were made of reinforced glass or transparent armor.

The Cougar immediately proved itself well: in its first year of operation, the model was involved in 300 IED incidents, but none of them resulted in the death of passengers. During the period 2007-2012, the Pentagon had a program for the development and procurement of new MRAP models.

They were divided into three categories depending on their purpose and weight. The lightest were used for urban operations. The medium ones were for convoys, the needs of engineer troops, and field medics. The heaviest were for demining. In total, over 5 years, 28,000 MRAPs of various models were purchased and sent to the U.S. military.

The U.S. allies in Europe quickly appreciated the advantages of this class of vehicles and began purchasing analogues for their units operating in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other hot spots.

The UK purchased localized versions of the Cougar under the names Mastiff and Ridgeback to use them for patrols. Over time, however, the Europeans began to develop and produce their own MRAP models.

In 2011, the British Army received the OCELOT, whose main feature was the modularity of the armor protection. That is, some damaged elements can be replaced right in the field conditions. A few years ago, the UK's Ministry of Defense thought about creating an OCELOT variant with an electric drive.

Another notable European representative of the MRAP class was the German KMW Dingo, first presented in 2003. Depending on the configuration, it can carry up to 8 passengers. The Dingo was actively used in Afghanistan and received very positive reviews. According to German soldiers, this vehicle saved more lives than any other tactical transport in the Bundeswehr's arsenal. As of now, the Dingo is in service with Norway, Saudi Arabia, and several other countries.

Trials by fire and steppes

Although MRAPs have generally proven to be extremely effective in protecting crews, this came at the cost of several significant drawbacks.  They are much larger and heavier than transport vehicles of similar capacity, which often caused them to become stuck on unpaved roads and unable to cross many bridges. The high center of gravity increased the risk of the vehicle rolling over during sharp maneuvers. MRAPs are also quite "voracious" in terms of fuel, which complicated logistics.

Finally, the high silhouette makes these vehicles a convenient target for the enemy armed with anti-tank missiles.

As the U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were winding down, the United States began to reduce its MRAP fleet. However, they did not completely abandon them and kept a certain number in storage facilities for potential future needs. These are mostly vehicles from the MaxxPro family by Navistar Defence and Oshkosh from the eponymous corporation.

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has shown that MRAPs are effective not only during guerrilla warfare with the active use of IEDs. In the context of the widespread use of drones and remote mining, these armored vehicles have proven to be an extremely useful and necessary tool.

So it's no surprise that along with ATGM launchers and shells, MRAPs have become "regulars" in the aid packages from Western allies. The most widespread MRAP model in the arsenal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is the MaxxPro. Ukrainian troops praised it for its survivability and mobility, noting the special tires that do not deflate after being punctured and have a resource of movement for another 100-150 km. At the same time, it is noted that getting used to driving this vehicle still requires some effort due to the peculiarities of its design. In May, the internet was flooded with a video showing a MaxxPro successfully evacuating soldiers under heavy enemy fire.

Among other foreign-made MRAPs in the arsenal of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are the aforementioned American Cougar and Oshkosh M-ATV, British Mastiff and Wolfhound, German Dingo, Australian Bushmaster, Canadian Roshel Senator, Turkish Kipri, and South African Mamba, transferred to us by Estonia from their reserves. During the liberation of the Kherson Oblast, Israeli Amir vehicles appeared in the media, although their supply was not officially reported. After that, the Israeli government stated that it provided only humanitarian aid and promised to investigate the appearance of its Amir in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

MRAPs allow relatively safe transport of troops directly to enemy positions during assault operations. Ukrainian soldiers have recorded cases where the windshield of an armored vehicle withstood direct hits from a heavy machine gun. Also, these vehicles are often equipped with a heavy machine gun for fire support.

MRAPs may not provide the same level of protection and firepower as IFVs or APCs. But they are much cheaper: for comparison, one unit of MaxxPro costs $1.5 million, while the American Stryker APC costs $4.5 million. The lower price means it will be less costly for our allies to saturate our units with a large number of MRAPs. And this, in turn, is a good guarantee of a return to maneuverable warfare. According to military analyst Kyrylo Danylchenko, it was the high saturation of units with this class of armored vehicles that allowed the Ukrainian Armed Forces to implement the swift breakthroughs during the liberation of the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

MRAP Made in Ukraine

Ukraine took its first steps in creating domestically produced MRAPs in the last decade, but they were not very successful. In 2010, KrAZ presented the ASV Panther, developed in cooperation with Ares Security Vehicles (UAE). A trial batch of 10 units was purchased by the UN for its peacekeepers and an unnamed number by Egypt. The project did not go any further.

The idea of developing MRAPs was revisited with the start of the ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation in Ukraine) in 2014. The army felt an acute need for vehicles for patrolling, reconnaissance, and transporting personnel and ammunition. To perform these tasks, the outdated Soviet BTRs and BRDMs (amphibious armored scout cars) had to be used – and that was in the best-case scenario. In some places, volunteer battalions had to rely on self-made armored vehicles – civilian buses or trucks, onto which armor plates and grilles were welded.

In response to the military's request, design bureaus began to work actively. As early as 2015, KrAZ presented the Shrek One model, developed jointly with the Canadian Streit Group. The armored vehicle could transport up to 12 people and, according to the stated characteristics, provided mine protection equivalent to 14 kg of TNT under the wheels and 7 kg under the bottom. The cost was estimated at $1 million per unit. The vehicle received 3 modifications (one of them known as "Fiona") and was sold to the National Guard of Ukraine, as well as to the armed forces of Senegal and Burkina Faso.

KrAZ also developed the Cougar – an armored vehicle with a capacity of up to 8 passengers and the option of installing a combat module on the roof. This can be a 7.62 mm/12.7 mm machine gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. The vehicle's armor protection allows it to withstand standard NATO 7.62 mm small arms fire and withstand the explosion of two DM51 grenades under the bottom.

KrAZ's most ambitious development was the Hurricane. It was an attempt by local designers to produce an analog of the American Oshkosh. It can accommodate up to 14 passengers and is equipped with firing ports. According to the stated specifications, the armored hull can withstand the impact of 14.5 mm armor-piercing bullets from a distance of 200 meters. The mine protection is designed to withstand the detonation of an explosive equivalent to 10 kg of TNT. The first demonstration of the vehicle took place as early as 2015, but no further information on the number manufactured and sent to the troops/sold to other countries was provided.

Another notable development was the Varta model from the company Ukrainian Armor, which was developed taking into account the requests of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies and special forces. The model can withstand hits from standard NATO caliber and a 6 kg TNT equivalent mine blast. The Varta is built with shock-absorbing seats that meet NATO standards, along with wheels featuring a central inflation system and RunFlat inserts. It can carry up to 10 people.

A modified version – the Varta-Redut model – was released by Ukrainian Armor not long ago. It has enhanced mine protection as a result of the installation of armor capsules. The capacity has also been increased to 12 passengers. Their delivery to the troops was reported in April last year.

The first MRAP developed amid the full-scale war was the Inguar 3 from the Ukrainian company Inguar Defence. The vehicle is equipped with two separate armor capsules at the front and rear.

According to the stated specifications, the Inguar 3 can withstand the impact of 7.62 mm armor-piercing bullets, as well as 155 mm shell fragments at a distance of 60 meters. The cabin has an automatic fire extinguishing system that operates using optical sensors and an air filtration system in case of chemical weapons use.

Instead of mirrors, the vehicle uses special cameras for front, side, and rear views, as well as a night vision device.

It has proven itself well during operations in the Serebryansky forest, where it was tested by Azov fighters. Based on the test results, an EW suite was developed for the vehicle, integrated with the onboard computer. The Inguar 3 is scheduled to go into mass production, with the goal of producing up to 200 units per year.

In a relatively short time, Ukraine has gone from the use of homemade armored vehicles to becoming one of the largest manufacturers and operators of MRAPs in the world. Our fleet of vehicles is quite numerous and diverse, actively utilizing the latest achievements of military technology. Even the enemy speaks favorably about the capabilities of Ukrainian armored vehicles, which says a lot.