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Teaming Agreement Delivers The Bull(TM) Production Vehicles to Meet Needs for High-Threat, EFP-Resistant Vehicle
OSHKOSH, Wis: Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I-3), Oshkosh Truck Corporation, and Ceradyne, Inc. announced today that they have delivered both a 6-person and a 10-person MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) II vehicle – known as The Bull(TM) – to the U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center for further service evaluation.
The Bull, an advanced technology survivability solution, was conceived by I-3 in 2005 and developed with Ceradyne in 2006, is intended to provide the MRAP program with an advanced armor package with the survivability, mobility and reliability that troops require. The Bull features an I-3, Ceradyne and Oshkosh jointly-developed undercarriage design with V-shaped plates that deflect, rather than absorb, Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and mine blasts from below. The integrated design helps to protect the crew with an armor compartment proven to defeat IEDs and Explosively Formed Penetrators (EFPs), the most dangerous threats faced by marines and soldiers in Iraq.
“The Bull is considered the next generation of vehicle survivability solutions. The vehicle uses proven armor solutions developed in cooperation with the Army Research Laboratory in a totally integrated vehicle design mounted on a proven military Medium Tactical Vehicle truck (MTVR) chassis. This survivability design seeks to eliminate the potential vulnerabilities that are often found in add-on armor kit approaches and the military chassis provides the mobility, reliability and supportability expected by the military user,” said Robert W. Kocher, president of Ideal Innovations, Inc.
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“Our meeting the timeline of the MRAP production vehicles with both a 6-person and a 10-person variant demonstrates the commitment all three companies have to addressing both the technical and the performance requirements of the MRAP II program on a timely basis,” said Robert G. Bohn, Oshkosh Truck chairman and chief executive officer. “We are proud to be partnered with two strong companies in I-3 and Ceradyne as we enhance our ability to produce capable MRAP vehicles available for our brave men and women of the U.S. military.”
Joel P. Moskowitz, chief executive officer for Ceradyne, said, “The speed with which we have responded to this very important next step in MRAP technology should make it clear that we are fully committed to meeting the survivability requirements of our service men and women. Ceradyne Vehicle Armor Systems has worked very closely with our partners, Oshkosh Truck and I-3, to ensure on-time delivery of the first two vehicles.”
