MRAP

Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP; /ˈɛmræp/ EM-rap) is an American term for vehicles that are designed specifically to withstand improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and ambushes. Armored vehicles designed specifically to counter the land mine threat were first used during the Rhodesian Bush War; the technology subsequently matured with the development of the South African-designed Casspir armored fighting vehicle, which inspired the United States MRAP program and was the basis for some of the program's vehicles. From 2007 until 2012, the Pentagon's MRAP program deployed more than 12,000 MRAPs in the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan.

Design overview

The MRAP design was first introduced in specialized vehicles in the 1970s built by and for the Rhodesian Army, and further developed by South African manufacturers, starting in 1974 with the Hippo armored personnel carrier (APC). The Casspir infantry mobility vehicle was developed for the South African Defence Force after 1980; this was the inspiration for the American MRAP program and the basis for some of the program's vehicles.