U.S. upgrading mine-resistant vehicles

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is reinforcing the sides of its topline mine-resistant vehicles to shore up what could be weak points as troops see a spike in armor-piercing roadside bombings across Iraq, the Associated Press has learned.

The surge in attacks is putting the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles (MRAPs) to the test, and so far they are largely passing. Statistics reviewed by the AP show that while bombings involving the penetrating explosives have jumped by about 40 percent in the last three months, deaths in such bombings have dropped by as much as 17 percent.

Officials attribute much of the decline in deaths to the increased use of MRAPs, pronounced "M-raps." To date, about a half-dozen troops have died in incidents that involved the new bomb-resistant vehicles, and several of those deaths occurred in rollovers rather than from explosives penetrating the armor.

Military officials spoke on condition of anonymity about the statistics because some are classified. Details of specific incidents often are not provided, making it difficult to determine which type of vehicle is involved in each roadside bombing.

Army spokesman Paul Boyce said that commanders were increasing safety training to help troops better learn how to handle the heavy, ungainly vehicles.

"We're emphasizing the limitations of the vehicle's handling and the importance of understanding the lessons learned after some close calls," said Boyce, adding that the training also focused on how to get out in an emergency. In addition, officials stress the importance of inspecting and using seat belts.

Meanwhile, at Camp Arifjahn in Kuwait, the military is reinforcing some MRAPs with additional side armor - and it shipped as many as 20 of the newly upgraded vehicles to the battlefront in April. An additional 30 are to go into Iraq beginning this month.

Navy Lt. Cmdr. James Hadley, who is overseeing the upgrades in Kuwait, said not every MRAP was getting the additional armor, which increases the vehicle's weight by as much as 5,000 pounds. The extra protection, he said, is being added to vehicles destined for battleground areas.

in May 2007 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates declared that the speedy purchase of MRAPs was the Pentagon's top acquisition priority.