MRAPs (Mind Resisitant Ambush Protected) Going to Iraq on Russian Cargo Planes
Eric Holmes
“We are now sharing the mission of flying MRAPs over to Iraq between C-17s and Antonov airplanes,” Wynne said. “Did [we] truly envision that we would fly war supplies with Russian-made airplanes? I don’t know.”
MRAP vehicles are the Defense Department’s top procurement priority, and the department this month ordered an additional 2,400 to help protect American servicemembers from roadside bombs in Iraq. The department has said it needs 15,274 MRAPs for all the services.
Wynne said the U.S. military has used the enormous Antonov planes to transport more than 200,000 pounds of cargo to Iraq.
Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., said he was unaware that the Antonov airplanes are being used so extensively in the war effort.
The Russian-made Antonov An-124 is 25 percent larger than the C-5, the Air Force’s largest cargo plane. The AN-24 is operated primarily by Russian and Ukrainian freight companies, according to the Web site, Airliners.net.
www.armytimes.com/news/2007/10/airforce_MRAP_russian_071026w/