July 3, 2007
North Charleston, SC – Protected Vehicles, Inc. is proud to offer three sources of high threat protection to US troops in the field. According to US Department of Defense press statements, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) cause 70 percent of the casualties in Iraqi and use of the weapon is spreading in Afghanistan. Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFP) are among the most lethal types of IEDs and historically the most difficult to stop. PVI’s MRAP vehicle, the GOLAN, already stops many EFP threats and soon PVI will offer two additional advanced solutions. One is developed and proven in the field by Rafael Development Authority and the other is ShieldAllTM. Both will help many military vehicles stand up to EFPs.
“More than a year of testing has gone into the optimization of ShieldAll so that it can stop the EFPs our troops have encountered in the field” says Garth Barrett, founder and CEO of Protected Vehicles, Inc. “Just like Battelle, the military has been with us every step of the way. Whilst we’ve sponsored many of the tests ourselves at US Government facilities, US Army and Navy scientists choreographed and recorded the tests themselves.” The result is an EFP solution with broader protection, but lighter and less bulky application versus other proposed solutions.
PVI’s GOLAN vehicle sets a whole new TWV standard for protection, mobility, and lethality. Through intensive testing in Israel over the past few months, PVI, with its partner, Rafael Armament Development Authority, has refined the vehicle’s protection and automotive capabilities to superior performance levels.
Rafael Development Authority has also succeeded in developing an effective EFP protection system that is currently being used by alliance partners in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. This system protects against advanced EFP threats.
PVI’s current GOLAN MRAP vehicle has a significant level of EFP protection as part of the basic design. PVI and Rafael Armament Development Authority of Israel jointly created a very high level of threat protection into the GOLAN from the outset. “Considering the weight associated with a triad solution of chemical energy shaped charge, kinetic energy and EFP protection, we have had a continuing challenge to improve the automotive aspects of the vehicle to support a new GVW,” states Michael Sandusky, General Manager for PVI, “Now that we’ve cleared those hurdles, we allow this unique MRAP vehicle to carry the armor, troops, and equipment required today without compromising room for growth in payload for spiral development.” In its base configuration, the GOLAN can stand up to many EFP threats, Fragmentation IEDs, Heavy Machine Gun Fire, and even RPG threats.
“We are currently building all 60 MRAP Initial Low Rate Production units to this new standard. The vehicle can take a serious hit and then move on to the next threat,” continues Mr. Sandusky, “and we are prepared to build 2,000 more in the next twelve months.” Incorporated for just over 20 months, PVI retains more than 600 employees, 62 graduated from PVI’s own weld school. Once a recent acquisition is facilitized, PVI will operate more than 600,000 square feet of industrial space on the Charleston Navy Yard, property privatized during Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) actions in the early 1990’s.
“I am very proud of the employees here at PVI. Even after working hard to respond to an evolving program, they tell me they’re honored just to provide troops with the best protected wheeled vehicle available,” says Maj Gen James Livingston, USMC (Ret), Senior Consultant for PVI. “What we need are more of these vehicles in the field now. For every Soldier or Marine seriously disabled by an IED today, the support they require through VA (Veterans Administration) over a lifetime would buy approximately eight MRAP vehicles.”
Protected Vehicles, Inc. designs and manufactures highly protected vehicles for US and International markets and will debut two new vehicle types in Fall 2007. For more information reference www.protectedvehicles.com or contact Drew Felty, (843) 554-8080, ext 219.