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United States

Insufficient Equipment for US Troops in Iraq Sparks Concern

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The US military is facing a serious shortage of armored vehicles in Iraq, exposing soldiers to a deadly threat from improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Despite concerns raised by troops and lawmakers, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has maintained that the Pentagon is addressing the issue, although critics argue that the response is inadequate.

Key Takeaways:

  • The House Armed Services Committee has released statistics showing that only 10% of the 4,814 medium-weight transport trucks and 15% of the 4,314 heavy transport vehicles in Iraq are armored.
  • More than three-quarters of the 19,854 Humvees in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait carry protective armor, but the Pentagon has only received 5,910 of the 8,105 factory-armored Humvees needed.
  • Soldiers have been forced to improvise armor by scavenging for steel and ballistic glass, creating "hillbilly armor" to protect themselves from IEDs.
  • The Army has acknowledged the shortage and is scrambling to produce and distribute kits to add extra protection to vehicles already in Iraq, but production is behind schedule.
  • Democrats in Congress have criticized the Pentagon's response, with Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. stating that troops lack protection due to the urgency with which the US went to war.

Statistics:

  • 19,854 Humvees in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait
  • 4,814 medium-weight transport trucks in Iraq
  • 4,314 heavy transport vehicles in Iraq
  • 5,910 factory-armored Humvees received out of 8,105 needed
  • 10% of medium-weight transport trucks armored
  • 15% of heavy transport vehicles armored
  • 63 million duty days logged by National Guard and Reserves in 2004, five times the total recorded in the late 1990s
  • 4,872 National Guard and Reserve personnel killed or wounded in Iraq as of February 2005
  • 185,019 National Guard and Reserve personnel on duty worldwide as of February 2005

Sources:

  • "Congress Releases Statistics Showing Shortage of Armor in Iraq" by The New York Times, February 17, 2005
  • "Rumsfeld Says Pentagon Is Addressing Concerns Over Armor" by The New York Times, February 18, 2005
  • "Army Forced to Scrounge for Armor in Iraq" by The New York Times, February 19, 2005
  • "Democrats Criticize Pentagon's Response to Armor Shortage" by The New York Times, February 22, 2005
  • "Defense Secretary's Secretary: Guard and Reserves Face Unprecedented Stresses" by The New York Times, February 23, 2005

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