In Afghanistan, bomb blasts hit high in July

[unhappycamper]

Marines from 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, hold security on a M-ATV on May 15 after the vehicle hit an IED while traveling through Marjah, Afghanistan. The only injury suffered was a mild concussion. IED attacks in Afghanistan peaked in July; more troops are surviving the blasts due to the increase in MRAPs and M-ATVs on the ground.


In Afghanistan, bomb blasts hit high in July
By Tom Vanden Brook - USA Today
Posted : Thursday Aug 19, 2010 17:04:30 EDT

Makeshift-bomb attacks in July wounded a record number of U.S.-led troops in Afghanistan, and experts say even more would have died without widespread use of armored vehicles.

More than 1,300 improvised explosive devices were detonated or defused in July — a record, said the Pentagon’s Joint IED Defeat Organization. That’s a 42 percent increase over July 2009. In July 2010, IEDs wounded 399 service members — a 68 percent increase — and killed 53.

More troops are surviving blasts in part because of the substantial increase in the number of armored trucks designed to help troops survive bomb blasts, said John Pike, a military analyst at Globalsecurity.org.

In July, there were about 9,400 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles in Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon. There were fewer than 3,000 a year ago. “Certainly a factor in survival has been the use of new vehicles there,” Pike said. “There are a lot more MRAPs.”

Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli said rapid production and quick fielding of the trucks has allowed soldiers to accomplish their missions safely.



unhappycamper comment: 9,400 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected = $9.4 billion dollars.