The Philadelphia Bulletin: Israeli Armor Tested in Afghanistan

by David Bedein

Plasan Sasa, an Israeli military armaments manufacturer, plans to deploy armor it has developed with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Its subsidiary, Plasan North America, has developed an armor system for the MRAP all-terrain vehicles, produced by Oshkosh Defense.

Three M-ATV vehicles underwent testing at the army’s Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland this month as part of a competition. The M-ATV was likely designed to meet the U.S. military’s requirement for a well-protected vehicle that could operate in Afghanistan’s rugged and mountainous off-road terrain.

“In addition to meeting these mobility demands, the Oshkosh M-ATV provides the superior crew protection that military forces need by incorporating an armor system from Plasan North America, which developed the armor system in use on more than 5,000 current MRAP vehicles and for the Armored Cab Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Oshkosh announced last week.

The U.S. military has been mulling the procurement of up to 10,000 such vehicles.

“The vehicles we delivered today meet the urgent need requirement for a well-armored vehicle that excels in moving our soldiers and Marines forward in Afghanistan’s harsh environments and dangerous operations,” Oshkosh Vice President Andy Hove said. “The Oshkosh M-ATV is ideal and unique in this competition because it boasts MRAP-level protection on a mobile and proven vehicle chassis.”

Plasan has delivered armor suites for a range of trucks and related vehicles produced by Oshkosh for the U.S. military. M-ATV was based on the Oshkosh MTVR chassis, deployed in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries.

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