Air and Land Forces Subcommittees

Opening Statement of Chairman Gene Taylor

Force Protection Equipment Programs for

Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

“The Subcommittees will come to order.  Today the Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee joins the Air and Land Forces Subcommittee in open session to receive testimony on force protection equipment in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, with particular focus on armored vehicles, personnel body armor, and counter-IED initiatives.

“We welcome our witnesses for today.  Representing the Army to discuss Army force protection systems are: Major General Thomas W. Spoehr, Director of Force Development, Army G-8; Brigadier General Peter N. Fuller Program Executive Officer – Soldier and Commanding General, Soldier Systems Center. 

“Representing the Marine Corps to discuss Marine Corps force protection systems and the MRAP joint vehicle program is: Brigadier General Michael Brogan, Commander, Marine Corps Systems Command and Program Executive Officer, MRAP Joint Program Office. 

“Representing the Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) is the new Director of JIEDDO, Lieutenant General Michael L. Oates. 

“Representing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is Ms. Davi M. D’Agostino, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management. Ms. D’Agostino appears to discuss the release of the GAO’s latest report on Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) issues.  The report is based on site visits to Iraq and Afghanistan and was prepared for the House Armed Services Committee.

“Today’s joint hearing continues the committee’s ongoing oversight activities regarding the full spectrum of force protection matters in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Our last formal activity regarding force protection was a classified briefing in December 2009. 

“We meet today to receive updates on these critical, life-saving programs and to provide an opportunity for the families of our fighting men and women to hear what the Army, Marine Corps, and DOD leadership are doing to protect their loved ones against the threats their Soldier or Marine faces in combat.

“The hearing today is expected to cover and provide updates on  a wide range of programs to include: the MRAP family of vehicles program, to include the lighter and smaller MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV); individual protective equipment, such as lighter-weight body armor; the Army’s new battle dress uniform; equipment used to detect snipers; counter radio controlled IED electronic warfare jammers; the continued challenge of getting adequate intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets; and improvements in weapons and tactics for our operational forces.

“At this time last year, the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) was still under source selection, no vehicles had been produced beyond small numbers of test assets, and no vehicles had been fielded to Afghanistan.  In just under a year over 4,700 MATVs have been produced, over 1,400 have been delivered to Afghanistan, and over 900 have been fielded to operational units.  The current producer is averaging 1,000 vehicles per month. 

“I want to publically thank General Brogan and his entire team for the service they have provided to their country in spearheading the MRAP and M-ATV effort.  As I’ve mentioned publicly before, I don't think there has ever been an acquisition program in the history of our country that was fielded as fast and has had such immediate and dramatic results.  Your team’s efforts have saved lives, General.  There are young people alive today because of the efforts of you and your team.

“There are still major challenges ahead of us with respect to long term sustainment of these vehicles, both in the field and here domestically, as well as improving these vehicles through capability insertions.

“I am aware the MRAP joint program office is currently pursuing several capability insertions and vehicle modifications to include installing independent suspension systems for MRAP legacy vehicles and heavier, more capable door hinges to MATVs.  I expect to receive updates on these initiatives today.

“A critical component to force protection is adequate training.  That means having the ability to realistically train on the equipment the warfighter will actually use in combat ranging from individual equipment to jammers to armored vehicles. 

“For example more than half of accidents involving MRAPs since November 2007 have been rollovers.  I realize some of these rollovers were attributed to poor roads and infrastructure but I do believe some of these rollovers might have been prevented through better training.  General Brogan, you stated in formal response to these subcommittees that ‘the better trained the driver, the less likely they are to conduct a maneuver that will hazard the vehicle’.

“I understand one of the lessons learned from the original, legacy MRAP vehicle program was to concurrently field vehicles to address both operational and training requirements and that we are applying that lesson to the M-ATV program. 

“I am still concerned over the limited number of legacy MRAP vehicles available to the Army for training and hope to gain a better understanding of the Army’s plan for addressing these vehicle shortfalls. 

“Clearly the M-ATV is a good news story and demonstrates that we are capable of applying lessons learned; however we cannot become complacent. 

“In the last year, Afghanistan has experienced a near doubling of IED events and U.S. casualties have continued to increase.  General Oates, in your testimony, you state ‘over the past three years in Afghanistan, casualty rates of our warfighters have increased by roughly 50 percent.’  This concerns me.  I look forward to hearing how your organization is addressing this trend.”

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