Navy facility blamed in MRAP production delay

[unhappycamper]

Navy facility blamed in MRAP production delay
By Richard Lardner - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Nov 9, 2007 8:29:29 EST

The Pentagon’s $23 billion program to rush thousands of lifesaving vehicles to Iraq is bogged down by production delays and the demands of the military services, members of Congress said Thursday.

At a hearing by the House Armed Services Committee, lawmakers said a Navy warfare center in Charleston, S.C., being used to install the radio jammers and communications systems on the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, is not organized to do the work.

“It kind of reminded me of the middle of the night before Christmas assembling my kid’s toys,” said Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss., who recently visited the Charleston facility. “I’m still not convinced we’re doing everything we can do.”

Even though the 15,274 MRAPs to be built are needed to protect U.S. troops from the common threat of roadside bombs, each branch of the armed services has its own unique gear it wants installed, said Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii.

As defense contractors build greater numbers of vehicles, this variety of models further slows the integration process in Charleston, Abercrombie said, and creates support problems once the MRAPs are fielded.

John Young, the Defense Department’s top acquisition official, defended the decision to use the Charleston facility, which is expected to handle 50 MRAP installations a day by mid-December.


Rest of interesting article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_mrap_071109/