Pentagon increases M-ATV requirement

US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has told Congress that the Pentagon will buy more mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) all-terrain vehicles (M-ATVs) for Afghanistan than previously planned.

According to a congressional source, the Pentagon's Joint Requirements Oversight Council has laid out a new requirement of 5,244 M-ATVs.

"The requirement has been growing since we submitted the budget [in early May]," Gates told the Senate appropriations defence subcommittee in 9 June testimony.

Although the original programme requirement was for rapid fielding of 2,080 vehicles, it could now involve as many as 10,000 M-ATVs, which are meant to provide the same blast protection as heavier MRAP vehicles but add off-road capabilities for manoeuvring in Afghanistan's rough terrain.