April 21,2008:
Although the U.S. has 5,200 MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles
and 19,000 HMMWV (hummer) vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan, and is developing a
hummer replacement, there is still demand for new hummers. The U.S. Army just
ordered another 5,526 hummers, for about $144,000 each. There are over twenty
different versions of the hummer in this order, which will be delivered by the
end of next year.
Even
though the army and marines are refurbishing thousands of hummers, wear and
tear (mostly), and combat damage have completely destroyed enough vehicles to
require new ones. In addition, transfers of thousands of used HMMWVs to Iraqi
and Afghan security forces also have to be replaced.