Humvee upgrades

[BLUEHAWK]

CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait (Army News Service, Sept. 19, 2005)-?

"The Army is responding to the War Fighter?s request for new equipment to enhance combat operations and increase safety, by installing five upgrades to Humvees at forward repair sites in Southwest Asia.

Pentagon officials quickly approved adding: a fire suppression system, improved seat restraints, an intercom system, a gunner?s restraint, and single movement door locks for all Humvees in Iraq.

Initially, the upgrades will be installed in Humvees, but the Army is adapting some of the new equipment to other medium and heavy tactical vehicles.

Adding intercom systems to tactical vehicles with turret gun mounts will improve Soldiers? ability to communicate when under fire, officials said.

The entire tactical fleet will receive the fire suppression system. New gunner restraints will be installed on all vehicles with gun-mounted turrets, and most tactical vehicles will receive the new seat restraints.

?These safety initiatives are being implemented to enhance protection and increase survivability for our soldiers,? said Chuck Wentworth, the program manager for tactical wheeled vehicle?s liaison office for Southwest Asia.

As more sets of the safety upgrades are received in theater, technical teams from the U.S. Army's Tank-automotive and Armaments Command will travel to installation sites throughout the theater to train installers and provide technical expertise on these much needed safety improvements for Soldiers in the field.

Vehicles undergoing repairs or receiving up-armor will automatically receive the new safety upgrades, said Col. Charles Wilson, commander of the Army Materiel Command?s Field Support Brigade, Southwest Asia. Wilson oversees all vehicle repair and upgrades in Qatar, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

These rapid response initiatives are new with Operation Iraqi Freedom, and reflect DoD mandates to immediately respond to battlefield conditions, officials said. More than 23,000 tactical vehicles have received add-on armor in Southwest Asia through this program."

(Editor's note: Chuck Sprague is AMC's AFSB-SWA public affairs officer at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait.)

[Jerry D]

"single movement door locks for all Humvees" Thats the first time I have heard of a Humvee needing or having door locks