Fox News Story on Navy SEAL building Armored Vehicles

[Seanmcd82]

Here (http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3446405&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479873,00.html#) is a video clip I ran across on Fox News. Not sure if the Lounge is the proper place for the thread, seemed close enough.

It is a video clip so I can't post the story, but it was fairly interesting, though seems dated to me?

Chris Berman is a former SEAL who worked as a contractor in Iraq, presumably for BW. Says he was friends with the BW guys KIA in Fallujah.

It shows some vehicles he made himself, some are easily reconized by anyone who's been in Baghdad. It also says he is working on a replacement for the HUMVEE for the Military, specifically the Marine Corp, by modifying the current HUMVEE...

I found that part interesting, as I was under the assumption the MRAP was the 'replacement' to the HUMVEE, albiet a much bigger vehicle. Also found it interesting that it seems he is modifying the HUMVEE with angled floor armor, something I thought was not feasable.

Anyway, interesting short clip, some people may know the dude.

[The91Bravo]

Here is his company site:

http://www.granitetacticalvehicles.com/

[godfather]

Chris is the real deal, a great guy and good friend.

Sean, he was with BW, he came over with Scott (who he had know and worked with for years).

[Seanmcd82]

Chris is the real deal, a great guy and good friend.

Sean, he was with BW, he came over with Scott (who he had know and worked with for years).

Roger that....I never doubted he was for real, I hope it didn't sound that way. Seems like a good guy, thats why I wanted to post it.

Thanks for the info.

[RGR.Montcalm]

[B][URL="http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3446405&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479873,00.html#"]
I found that part interesting, as I was under the assumption the MRAP was the 'replacement' to the HUMVEE, albiet a much bigger vehicle. Also found it interesting that it seems he is modifying the HUMVEE with angled floor armor, something I thought was not feasable.


Actually, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is the 'replacement' for the HMMWV. I have ridden in one of the prototypes and the contracts for developing 3 other prototypes have been let. It is a Army/Marine Corps joint endeavor.

It is a new vehicles from the ground up with some interesting features. I was the project officer for the 101st and took some recent returnees from Iraq with me to the test site to make sure that the developers and testers had input from the start from the poor bastards that have to use it(E-4 - E-6).

Several companies had mock ups there and all were evaluated, on the merits of what was displayed by those Soldiers.

I hope Mr. Berman isn't spinning his wheels and wasting his money on building what could easily become a hangar queen.

[Seanmcd82]

I agree RGR, of all things that I would think very unlikely, foremost would be spending any more effort to modify the HUMVEE. I think it is a platform that has reached the end of its usable life....

[godfather]

Roger that....I never doubted he was for real, I hope it didn't sound that way.


It didn’t sound that way, I was just giving my .02 on Chris. What he is doing is very near and dear to my heart. He and I had many conversations on how we could improve our vehicles or create a better mouse trap if you will. I admire the fact that he did not just talk about how to keep guys safe, he went out and did something about it. He’s always been an entrepreneur, its good to see him able to make a living on something he feels so strongly about…..

[chalup87]

Alright I have no idea about this stuff at all and hope you guys can explain it to me. Besides the obvious addons to HUMVEES for military purposes, what else is different from the military version and the civilian version? I cant for the life of me understand why they dont armor the vehicles? I just dont get why our men are having to wield shit on theirself. Maybe you guys can explain it better for me and ill research it myself.

[Seanmcd82]

It didn’t sound that way, I was just giving my .02 on Chris. What he is doing is very near and dear to my heart. He and I had many conversations on how we could improve our vehicles or create a better mouse trap if you will. I admire the fact that he did not just talk about how to keep guys safe, he went out and did something about it. He’s always been an entrepreneur, its good to see him able to make a living on something he feels so strongly about…..

Agreed.

[RGR.Montcalm]

Alright I have no idea about this stuff at all and hope you guys can explain it to me. Besides the obvious addons to HUMVEES for military purposes, what else is different from the military version and the civilian version? I cant for the life of me understand why they dont armor the vehicles? I just dont get why our men are having to wield shit on theirself. Maybe you guys can explain it better for me and ill research it myself.

Without being mean- your ignorance shows- the HMMWV has been modified with armored componenets for the past 3+ years.

The 'hill billy armor you are referring to, i.e. welded on, was a stop gap measure that was resorted to when the IED first became a problem.

I, along with all the other members of the 101st, went into Iraq in OIF 1 with cloth doors and sand bags on the floor. We 'requisitioned some hard rubber flooring to stick into our doors in hopes that it would 'slowdown' an AK round enough not to seriously maim us.

The current HMMWV version M-1152 series has a protection level higher than an M-113 Armored personnel Carriers used in Viet Nam. The problem is that the frame of the vehicle, which could be mistaken for a piece of a railroad trestle bridge, is at the upper limit of its capability.

A new vehicle needs to be engineered and so it has been.

[Seanmcd82]

Alright I have no idea about this stuff at all and hope you guys can explain it to me. Besides the obvious addons to HUMVEES for military purposes, what else is different from the military version and the civilian version? I cant for the life of me understand why they dont armor the vehicles? I just dont get why our men are having to wield shit on theirself. Maybe you guys can explain it better for me and ill research it myself.

I think you are lost dude. The Humvees are armored, some so heavily armored they can barely support the weight. I don't know any soldiers ..."welding shit on themselves."

I am not going to explain what is easily available to you regarding the vehicle, however I will say that the vehicles I saw in Iraq, and now Afghanistan, are Armored.

However even the very best Armored vehicle is still vulnerable to current EFP technology. Google EPF, or Explosively Formed Projectile, and you will have a better idea what I mean.

[chalup87]

Without being mean- your ignorance shows- the HMMWV has been modified with armored componenets for the past 3+ years.

The 'hill billy armor you are referring to, i.e. welded on, was a stop gap measure that was resorted to when the IED first became a problem.

I, along with all the other members of the 101st, went into Iraq in OIF 1 with cloth doors and sand bags on the floor. We 'requisitioned some hard rubber flooring to stick into our doors in hopes that it would 'slowdown' an AK round enough not to seriously maim us.

The current HMMWV version M-1152 series has a protection level higher than an M-113 Armored personnel Carriers used in Viet Nam. The problem is that the frame of the vehicle, which could be mistaken for a piece of a railroad trestle bridge, is at the upper limit of its capability.

A new vehicle needs to be engineered and so it has been.

Thank you for taking your time to explain that for me because I defiantly am ignorent on the topic. So as you said when you first went over they had cloth doors, but it isnt like that anymore correct? I was basing the welding on from what I heard a couple years ago Im pretty sure.

[BackInTheDay]

godfather can correct me on this but Berman was about the first one to do this. He had a prototype built on his own dime. I think he even took a machine shop in Kuwait to build them.

[RGR.Montcalm]

Thank you for taking your time to explain that for me because I defiantly am ignorent on the topic. So as you said when you first went over they had cloth doors, but it isnt like that anymore correct? I was basing the welding on from what I heard a couple years ago Im pretty sure.

Correct- the cloth doors are gone.

You are referring to the news conference where SECDEF Rumsfield was ambushed by the guy from the 278th Cav out of TN about him having to create hillbilly armor. He was put up to it by a reporter.

[Massgrunt]

I drove and rode around in what I think were the first versions of his vehicles to hit the ground. They were a vast improvement to F-350s but they needed a lot of work to get them road worthy. Little stuff like shields, exposed screws, etc. They should have had a good shaking out before hitting the road, but nothing too bad. It was the buyer's mistake as much as the seller. Those vehicles were still going strong a couple years later and probably still are.

[Panda]

Thanks for the post! I know of a couple of team guys who do detail work out in CA. I borrowed your link for a few emails! :)

[Jong]

Actually, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is the 'replacement' for the HMMWV. I have ridden in one of the prototypes and the contracts for developing 3 other prototypes have been let. It is a Army/Marine Corps joint endeavor.

It is a new vehicles from the ground up with some interesting features. I was the project officer for the 101st and took some recent returnees from Iraq with me to the test site to make sure that the developers and testers had input from the start from the poor bastards that have to use it(E-4 - E-6).

Several companies had mock ups there and all were evaluated, on the merits of what was displayed by those Soldiers.

I hope Mr. Berman isn't spinning his wheels and wasting his money on building what could easily become a hangar queen.

So are they making one that will fit regular size people rather than midgets?

[Jimbo]

Who made that weird, tortoise-shell looking thing that was driving around VBC in 2006? I thought that was Granite. One of them got pretty banged up by an IED, as I recall.

[armorer1]

Chris and his family are good people. I did some Residential/Personal Protection for his family/home (in CA) while he was overseas.

[Massgrunt]

Who made that weird, tortoise-shell looking thing that was driving around VBC in 2006? I thought that was Granite. One of them got pretty banged up by an IED, as I recall.

Not sure if you're talking about the Granite vehicle, people usually describe them as looking like the truck from Dumb and Dumber. Same shape. One got hit with an EFP in August 2006 that killed several good guys.

[Jimbo]

Not sure if you're talking about the Granite vehicle, people usually describe them as looking like the truck from Dumb and Dumber. Same shape. One got hit with an EFP in August 2006 that killed several good guys.

That was it. I can't remember who it was that came by the shop, but I recall a few details about that incident. Have they scrapped that design?

[Massgrunt]

No idea, but I've seen some of the same or very similar design since then.

Can't really expect something that size to stand up to an EFP, but they did well against smaller stuff.

[Seanmcd82]

No idea, but I've seen some of the same or very similar design since then.

Can't really expect something that size to stand up to an EFP, but they did well against smaller stuff.

I am not really sure what you need to stand up to an EFP. I would be interested to know as I was 'told', so take it for what it is worth, that a high grade EFP can penetrate an Abrams. I know for a fact an EFP can take out an MRAP.

[Massgrunt]

As far as I know no armor out there can take a hit from an EFP.

[Jimbo]

I am not really sure what you need to stand up to an EFP. I would be interested to know as I was 'told', so take it for what it is worth, that a high grade EFP can penetrate an Abrams. I know for a fact an EFP can take out an MRAP.

We really don't need to get into it on the board, but suffice it to say that one should never feel safe around an EFP, no matter what you are riding in.

[Seanmcd82]

Yeah Jimbo, Roger that.

[godfather]

suffice it to say that one should never feel safe around an EFP, no matter what you are riding in.

Word

[godfather]

godfather can correct me on this but Berman was about the first one to do this.

I think that is correct


He had a prototype built on his own dime. I think he even took a machine shop in Kuwait to build them.

I know this is true for sure. I went to the dealers with him in Q8 to try and buy his first truck. We were not able to get what he needed so he had one shipped from the states.......

[Xdeth]

As far as I know no armor out there can take a hit from an EFP.


Some promising technologies coming to test facility near you, some are pretty old-school.

[GRIFFIN]

Some promising technologies coming to test facility near you, some are pretty old-school.

And some are already fielded.

[RGR.Montcalm]

So are they making one that will fit regular size people rather than midgets?

That was the purpose of taking REAL Soldiers with all their battle rattle, out there to provide input. Ergonomics will be key to getting the testbed vehicles into production.