This is really cool. I was in the Marines and drove MRAPs and MATVs in afganistan. Brings back some memories. In my experience these vehicles provided the protection that we needed against IEDs. We were very luck to have no KIA due to the IEDs we encountered. Some other units were not that lucky. The injuries we experienced were mainly from broken bones while being tossed around the vehicle. The most common injury I saw was the gunner's nose being broken due to hitting the machine-gun after being thrown upwards and then brought back down due to the safety harness. Better than being tossed completely out of the vehicle.
Now such MaxxPros are working in Ukraine to fight russians Can confirm the flaw JB was talking about. The truck is tall and isn't stable enough on the off-road But still it protects troops inside and does it good
I was a driver/dismount on the Maxx-pro. A beast. We had Maxx-pro as well as ASV's. Nobody wanted the ASV (though better armed). Only draw back is the heighth of the vehicle made it easier to flip over, outside of that it was a reliable vehicle that we felt fairly safe in. We actually had one of the better vehicles that had some bettter technology. We had VC and DVE thermals, Wizard and a device that would indicate direction of incoming fire as well as the mine roller. Several vehicles did get hit with small arms and one DBIED which turned a vehicle over. We took no casulties in our company. Infantryman working convoy/route security, FOB q-west 2010.
Super cool. My first time in an MRAP I was climbing up the the drivers position. No one told me the doors were hydrologic. Grabbed the door handle to pull myself up and almost smushed myself in the 300lb armored door. Fun times 😂
I'll say it again, JB sounds like the kind of NCO I want on my team or as a shipmate. Sofi, the look you often have on your face tells me you are enjoying yourself, especially when the veterans or civilian subject matter experts are telling their stories. All of you, take care and stay safe.
I helped run the flightline in Balad 05 we moved in some of those MRAPs along with the humvee bolt on armor kits. Thank you to those Army guys who kept us safe inside the wire.
Finally we get to see modern vehicle, every military geek needs more of this! It's so rare to see the present being talked about when it comes to vehicle, but you guys are showing us what is currently fielded which is amazing!
I used to see these driving through my town and I have a soft spot for these IH badboys. JB, your videos are pure gold. You need your own channel. Thanks for your unique take on these vehicles.
Yooo I remember when they fielded these! I was at Rustamiyah when we got orders to ride to BIAP to pickemup from a railhead. We nicknamed them the Dinosaur hunting trucks because they look like something from Jurassic Park. Fun fact: I was in a rollover in one because the baddies had dug a hole in a street overnight and since there was no sewage system, they filled it with the overflow and dirt. When the sun hit it, it dried the surface making the whole street look navigable. Ended up sinking in then rolling over hardcore. Spent like 4 hours waiting on a Hercules to pull us out, inner and outer cordons setup and everything. I had to burn my clothes and the medic hosed us all down back at the cop along route wild. Great times and great video Sofilein!
Since this is a collection about the Cavalry, please allow my to put my two bitz in. My last duty was with the 66th MI Co (CEWI), GSR Platoon, Support Squadron, 3rd ACR, Fort Bliss, TX, 1984. This was during the Reagan years, when new equipment, such as the M-1 Abrams, as well as the M-2/M-3 CFV/IFV were being introduced. My Platoon, was the Ground Surveillance Radar Platoon (MOS 17K). Stateside, we were issued with whatever was deemed neccesary to get the mission accomplished. Basically, whatever surplus vehicles could be spared.. We started off with M-151 Jeeps, then "upgraded" to M-548's! This was a real pig for our mission! We went to REFORGER '83, where the OPFOR was equipped with the M-1 Abrams (with the 105) and the M-2/M-3 Bradley. We had M-60's and M-113's. Our heinies got KICKED! I guess I am the last of the peacetime volunteer army before Desert Storm Kicked off. What an amazing differance in the quality of equipment there is between generations! Would love to see a tour of the CAV collection!
It's probably a function of age, and added armor packaging, but those rear spring packs were already in contact with the bump stops and even a little inverted. I can only imagine how bad that thing would ride over crappy dirt roads and wash outs.
this model was absolutely terrible the smallest bump hit while doing 5mph seem like going 60 and hitting a ramp. i used to hit speed bumps to wake up the guys sleeping in the back. if they’re not wearing their seatbelts they are getting tossed around back there. then the upgraded mode with individual suspension came out and it was hell a smooth. the vehicle to the right of the MRAP i believe it’s called camen if i recall correctly rode smooth but hell a top heavy way more than the max pro. going thru uneven roads i always felt like we’re going to tip over especially when your on the turret.
MAN that thing is NAKED!!!! In Iraq in 2010, I served as part of a convoy security team. We had spot and floodlights all over the place, the MEAP armor kit (It was a Maxx Pro +), we had home made wire mitigation kits on each side, and we had the hot box out front for IR seekers. This things plain!!! LOL
Driven and gunned on a few. Tough as nails and probably one of our strongest wheeled vehicles. The ride off highway was absolutely terrible though due to leaf springs. Ate sh*t on the 240B buttstock in the turret once. Definitely not fun to be a gunner in, brace yourself and hope for the best. Thank you for doing these reviews
So quick story a coworker called me fat “we do that to each other from time to time” I said “I’m not fat I’m well armored” a customer heard me say that he said “hey you watch Sofilein too” we are now good friends. True story by the way
Was a gunner on our BN Cdms. Max Pro Plus. Kinda liken it to putting a swing set in the back of a puckup and driving down the worst roads you could find. Good thing I had my vest on, saved my ribs on numerous occasions.
Never... throw a mount on top and turn this bad boy into a mobile firing platform. I love when we got to play with these things. the only complaint I have is my gunner tended to shift fire right into the antenna if we was at the front of a convoy.. yea, even going down a lane I've seen a couple of these with the antenna blown off.
We had 3 of our guys run over an IED when we were in Iraq. The whole back side of it was gone, but everyone survived. Worked like a charm. Except against EFP's.. Gunners don't have EFP protection.
I recall reading in a book the suspended seats were developed using fresh cadavers strapped into seat prototypes an a mock up vehicle with explosive charges beneath. After the blast, the cadavers were examined for degree of injury. Since the floor came up at high velocity, lower extremity injuries were common, as well as spinal fractures.
The battle bus! It is VERY top-heavy, but a lot of armor. The A/C is a joke...its hits the gunner's ass and NO ONE else in the back. The rear door is powered...but slow. So the HEAT is turned on by a valve IN the engine compartment...so if you don't get BRIEFED on that...you are driving around and freezing or sweating until you get told. The a/c fan is loud as all hell, a scroll that screams when its running. The side armor panels aren't empty, it's literally layers of ceramic tiles and is spaced armor, as pointed out. The drivers thermal tended to give people headaches and they didn't want to use it. But I think that comes from not being forced to use them and train with them. Grease pencils were also used a lot to write on the windows.
Also the axles will snap if you hit it with anything over 3 pounds of bang. Meant to keep larger charges from slapping the entire axle through the passenger compartment, but instead will send a wheel assembly screaming off to the sides.
Ive been watching your channel and i love it, your providing a service to the x service guys and gals, to remember the days, your providing historical fact and information on what its like in all sorts of vehicles. Amazing how your channel is going well done you...!
In my own opinion the MAXXPRO MRAPs are best looking of the MRAP family of vehicles. Probably because they are modeled after already existing civilian style vehicles. The bad thing about it being so tall is that they tend to be too top heavy and flip over. I know the USMC has their own special variant with better suspension and wider footprint to keep it from rolling over so much. It's funny because if you go to Navistar Internationals website they show that they have recovery/tow trucks that they sell along with the MRAPs.
@@aggresivovic5215 yeah we do have a bunch, I would have liked to do some state of the art stuff but at the same time I do not want to be the one out there showing all of our capabilities. We chose these mraps and the Bradley because of my past experiences on those platforms. But if I have the chance we will do another video for my illustrious fans. And thanks for the kind words.
As far as keeping you alive and safe from IED's and small arms, it works. Other than that, I find that design is lacking in many areas. Egress from the vehicle in an emergency is poor especially if you lose power and the only way out quickly would be through the upper hatch. They should have designed the rear door with an emergency disconnect where you could pull a lever or cross bolt and the door would simply drop open. The fire suppression system inside the cabin is also a problem. If they are using Halon and the interior catches fire, you have a choice of being burned alive without egress or suffocated from the Halon gas. The height and narrowness of the vehicle also makes it susceptible to roll overs making egress very difficult. As the narrator mentioned, being up in the hatch is problematic being thrown around on uneven terrain and trying to engage an enemy at the same time. They really need to go back to the drawing board on this one especially for the cost. Just my opinion from the narrators explanation and description. I give this fighting vehicle a "D" for poor design.
Spent a tour as the troop commanders gunner, my turret windows were COVERED in grids and notes. Used 4 different colored markers each platoon got a different color to help keep the info strait.... PS hated gunning on the Max pro like riding a bull
JB talked about this briefly, but there wasn't much harm in having personal gear on the back deck, because the gunner's field of fire (depression) to the rear was already severely limited just by the back of the vehicle itself. The gunner realistically only had the front 180* arc. But obviously most of the time you wouldn't have any extra stuff at all, because you were working out of FOBs or COPs. The main reason to have everything possible *outside* is that gear forms secondary projectiles, or obstacles to safe egress from the vehicle. There are already rifles, ammo cans, water bottles, and 1000 other things which might break loose and hit somebody, and make it harder for them to escape. I got into a fight with somebody one time about why all the rucksacks should be strapped to the outside of the vehicle. He was worried their gear would get dusty, or fall off and they would have to fill a statement of charges. I was more worried people would be trapped and burnt up by a mountain of unimportant shit. I lost that argument. I would have loved to have JB as an NCO at that time.
Law enforcement was able obtain these for the cost of shipping- about the only way some agencies can obtain an armored rescue vehicle. Some have coil independent suspension all round.
So much South African technology in the US military. During my time in the military (South African Bush War) I was involved in both landmine and RPG incidents (casspir, Buffel, Olifant, Leopard, etc.) and we never lost anyone due to those hits. It's a pity that so much was taken from our technology (armour, sights and so much more) and no recognition has ever been made public to it's origin. I guess it's all about optics. Regardless, I'm dumbfounded why the electric motors for the wheels aren't mentioned either. Our vehicles had an engine that would run on anything combustible, which in turn ran the electric motors (each producing 120 Newtons) which were responsible for the wheel speed. The V-shaped hull will not allow any of the blast to go through the floor (I know this from personal experience)! Our side armour was also hollow and was angled both down and up (pending on the bottom or upper half it was fixed to). Inside we had gun ports that were adapted for R1, R4 and R5. and all occupants would be strapped in during the ride. The ropes are effectively a way to absorb the shock wave produced by a landmine/explosion/blast (on a fixed seat, the occupant would absorb this and end up with broken bones or worse, a crushed vertebrae). On contact/ambush, these would be released and the gun ports engaged (why the MRAP doesn't have these is mistifying?). Great South African technology, effective and proven in the field of war time and time again, keeping thousands of soldiers and civilians alike, safe. For a "modern" version this one has a lot of the original safety features missing. The drivers compartment is totally exposed and definitely not designed after the Casspir, etc. Such a pity, why leave out what definitely works? Perhaps we're back down to branding/costs? What value do you pit on a human life?
The difference between my era of M151's and 113's are crazy. Having AC in my track would have seemed like science fiction. But yeah grease pencil writing on the windshield of our vehicles, you could always find a grid there and sometimes a frequency you had forgotten
Yeah ,good video,great vehicle,but I prefer the RG33, spent a lot of time upgrading them at the mrap sustainment facility in Kuwait those things are awesome.
The only time I really remember riding in one I was in the battle of sadr city and wanted to leave UR to get some cigs and wanted a hair cut. I was part of the team that built lockheeds version of the JLTV. Should have won the contract. Now I know how the YF23 project felt like.
Swiss army knife kind of vehicle I like it. South Africa was pioneering vehicles like this in the late 70ties I think the Dutch army bought similar vehicles from an Aussie firm. Bushmasters if I recall it right. We lost so many people in unarmored Merc's. IED's are terrifying.
Curious about the tires on fires extinguishers. How many time have you had to use that, or heard of soldiers having or being able to use that? Seems like more of a riot thing than an ambush or mine thing. Guess when you need it, you really need it. I imagine the kind of moment when somebody has lit the tires are on fire is is exactly when you don't want to stop.
Never have seen it used, but guess it could be handy in you are trying to get out of a kill zone and shrapnel or something does light the rubber on fire
Awesome veichle and awesome video guys, having you on these sofi i would buy a MRAP this second (if I had the money) these are absolutely brilliant,cheers again guys 🇬🇧✊🏼
Awesome! I bet if you showed this guy a Rooikat or any other quirky SADF wheeled vehicle, there'd be a lot of both "hey, that's clever" as well as "no, that wouldn't work in Afghanistan".
Stumbled across your channel and like the contents as I always want to see the inside of military vehicles and get a glimpse what a soldier experiences. Now I know at least this model has AC, which I often wonder fighting in Africa in WWII or the recent 2 middle east conflicts were the soldiers EXPERIENCING what the inside of an oven is like.
Seems like they could’ve reduced its overall height by not including that strange second roof area for the turret ring. Not sure why they didn’t just put it on the main roof. Edit: I actually just saw that they made a version called the Dash where they got rid of that taller gun turret section on the roof.
Thanks for showing. Is that a prototype? From December *1943*, an all-round fire MG was mounted on the roof of the German StuG III Ausf. G and replaced the original MG mount. The MG mount was designed in such a way that it was attached to the tower or the superstructure roof, but was operated from inside the vehicle. A periscope was used for aiming.
I just want thank you so much your are a great help because I build models and i want to get it as accurate as possible so again thanks you guys are awesome
I wasn't a big fan of the Maxxpro or Caimen which we used in Iraq in 09-10...I preferred being on a Stryker in 04-05 to the MRAPs...we 1st saw IEDs with EFPs (explosively formed penetrators) in 04-05...the 1st Gen Strykers saved a lot of lives.
my team got stuck out in the middle of the desert south of spin boldak (kandahar) in one of those things... we had to get rescued by strykers so they could drive us back to base. we promptly traded it in for a MATV, and I never had trouble d riving the MATV. Could take it up the side of a mountain on goat trails.
*HOW DO YOU GET ACCESS TO THESE MILITARY VEHICLES? ALSO GIVES AN INDIRECT INSITE WHAT SOLDIERS HAVE TO GO THRU IN WAR. HOW VEHICLES ARE MADE TO SAVE OUR SOLDIERS LIVES*
![Lethal Company Music Video 🎵 "Follow The Orders" [VERSION A]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QeooZB4Z7RA/mqdefault.jpg)
This is really cool. I was in the Marines and drove MRAPs and MATVs in afganistan. Brings back some memories. In my experience these vehicles provided the protection that we needed against IEDs. We were very luck to have no KIA due to the IEDs we encountered. Some other units were not that lucky. The injuries we experienced were mainly from broken bones while being tossed around the vehicle. The most common injury I saw was the gunner's nose being broken due to hitting the machine-gun after being thrown upwards and then brought back down due to the safety harness. Better than being tossed completely out of the vehicle.
Thank you for your service. The US Marines are THE deterent against evil around the world. My Pop is a Marine, no longer deployed.
And squished by the vehicle or captured by the enemy.
Hi
Which one is better matv or maxxpro
Now such MaxxPros are working in Ukraine to fight russians
Can confirm the flaw JB was talking about. The truck is tall and isn't stable enough on the off-road
But still it protects troops inside and does it good
"Tell the guys in back to... do guys in back stuff" As a former guy in the back, can confirm
WINDOW LICKERS!
@@firebpm4977 hey now! There's no need to bring the Marines into this.
@@twothreebravo LOL.... we called them that in the Army too whenever we had passengers LOL
You were on a need to know basis.
I was a driver/dismount on the Maxx-pro. A beast. We had Maxx-pro as well as ASV's. Nobody wanted the ASV (though better armed). Only draw back is the heighth of the vehicle made it easier to flip over, outside of that it was a reliable vehicle that we felt fairly safe in. We actually had one of the better vehicles that had some bettter technology. We had VC and DVE thermals, Wizard and a device that would indicate direction of incoming fire as well as the mine roller. Several vehicles did get hit with small arms and one DBIED which turned a vehicle over. We took no casulties in our company. Infantryman working convoy/route security, FOB q-west 2010.
Thank you for your service. You guys are the best of all of us.
@@konkyolife Thank you!
Super cool. My first time in an MRAP I was climbing up the the drivers position. No one told me the doors were hydrologic. Grabbed the door handle to pull myself up and almost smushed myself in the 300lb armored door. Fun times 😂
"Talk about fire extinguishers; this baby's got TIRE EXTINGUISHERS!" *slaps hood
I'll say it again, JB sounds like the kind of NCO I want on my team or as a shipmate. Sofi, the look you often have on your face tells me you are enjoying yourself, especially when the veterans or civilian subject matter experts are telling their stories.
All of you, take care and stay safe.
I helped run the flightline in Balad 05 we moved in some of those MRAPs along with the humvee bolt on armor kits. Thank you to those Army guys who kept us safe inside the wire.
JB is an absolute treasure. Another great video, Sofi! Thanks!
I like this guy. He's no-nonsense. He's critical. Good call, Sofi.
Thanks, appreciate it!
Finally we get to see modern vehicle, every military geek needs more of this! It's so rare to see the present being talked about when it comes to vehicle, but you guys are showing us what is currently fielded which is amazing!
JB knocks it outta the park once again!!!
I used to see these driving through my town and I have a soft spot for these IH badboys.
JB, your videos are pure gold. You need your own channel. Thanks for your unique take on these vehicles.
Yooo I remember when they fielded these! I was at Rustamiyah when we got orders to ride to BIAP to pickemup from a railhead. We nicknamed them the Dinosaur hunting trucks because they look like something from Jurassic Park.
Fun fact: I was in a rollover in one because the baddies had dug a hole in a street overnight and since there was no sewage system, they filled it with the overflow and dirt. When the sun hit it, it dried the surface making the whole street look navigable. Ended up sinking in then rolling over hardcore. Spent like 4 hours waiting on a Hercules to pull us out, inner and outer cordons setup and everything. I had to burn my clothes and the medic hosed us all down back at the cop along route wild.
Great times and great video Sofilein!
@Kévin Miller Thanks brother, stay blessed :)
Thank you for your service. Glad you made it made it home.
That's one shitty way to end a day before expected XD
Best ac unit I ever had. Those doors are crazy. Especially when the chain lock gets caught
So cool having a veteran go through it with us!
Imagine someone saying
"Oh bugger the tire is on fire"
Start pumping that ramp!
Someone :))))
@@raymondo8881 nah bro we gonna use the high tech artificial dog pee on the tire technology .😂
What ever man they tend to have more piss than water in the hot airid middle east
American wouldn’t say Oh bugger
Hey, where i used to work, we built the engines for the MRAP!
Ahh map pens and a windshield. Many memories of those days. This vehicle came in after my time. We worked with sandbags on a hmmwv floor.
We had those in OIF2, bunch of 998s with sheet metal and sandbags, 240s on the railings with bungie cords and the like
If it wasn’t for alcohol pens and windshield, I could never remember the call signs!
@@doughudgens9275 I was always throwing grids and checkpoints up there
Since this is a collection about the Cavalry, please allow my to put my two bitz in.
My last duty was with the 66th MI Co (CEWI), GSR Platoon, Support Squadron, 3rd ACR, Fort Bliss, TX, 1984.
This was during the Reagan years, when new equipment, such as the M-1 Abrams, as well as the M-2/M-3 CFV/IFV were being introduced.
My Platoon, was the Ground Surveillance Radar Platoon (MOS 17K). Stateside, we were issued with whatever was deemed neccesary to get the mission accomplished. Basically, whatever surplus vehicles could be spared.. We started off with M-151 Jeeps, then "upgraded" to M-548's! This was a real pig for our mission!
We went to REFORGER '83, where the OPFOR was equipped with the M-1 Abrams (with the 105) and the M-2/M-3 Bradley. We had M-60's and M-113's. Our heinies got KICKED!
I guess I am the last of the peacetime volunteer army before Desert Storm Kicked off. What an amazing differance in the quality of equipment there is between generations!
Would love to see a tour of the CAV collection!
It's much more than just CAV, they have a little of everything
It's probably a function of age, and added armor packaging, but those rear spring packs were already in contact with the bump stops and even a little inverted. I can only imagine how bad that thing would ride over crappy dirt roads and wash outs.
good observation. Missed in first time around
this model was absolutely terrible the smallest bump hit while doing 5mph seem like going 60 and hitting a ramp. i used to hit speed bumps to wake up the guys sleeping in the back. if they’re not wearing their seatbelts they are getting tossed around back there. then the upgraded mode with individual suspension came out and it was hell a smooth. the vehicle to the right of the MRAP i believe it’s called camen if i recall correctly rode smooth but hell a top heavy way more than the max pro. going thru uneven roads i always felt like we’re going to tip over especially when your on the turret.
MAN that thing is NAKED!!!! In Iraq in 2010, I served as part of a convoy security team. We had spot and floodlights all over the place, the MEAP armor kit (It was a Maxx Pro +), we had home made wire mitigation kits on each side, and we had the hot box out front for IR seekers. This things plain!!! LOL
He's great! You can tell he's been there, done that. I love the springs at the back, there's more metal there than my whole Caravan put together!
JB says it as it is, you gotta love that. facinating info thanks for going to the trouble both.
Driven and gunned on a few. Tough as nails and probably one of our strongest wheeled vehicles. The ride off highway was absolutely terrible though due to leaf springs. Ate sh*t on the 240B buttstock in the turret once. Definitely not fun to be a gunner in, brace yourself and hope for the best. Thank you for doing these reviews
Not fun? Gunner's got the best view!
Not burning up ... is nice. 🙂
I agree with that sentiment
And lol -- The right is the same as the other side, but on the right
Glad you caught that
You’re always beaming in these videos. Nice to see you love your work as much as we do!
So quick story a coworker called me fat “we do that to each other from time to time” I said “I’m not fat I’m well armored” a customer heard me say that he said “hey you watch Sofilein too” we are now good friends. True story by the way
Was a gunner on our BN Cdms. Max Pro Plus. Kinda liken it to putting a swing set in the back of a puckup and driving down the worst roads you could find. Good thing I had my vest on, saved my ribs on numerous occasions.
Never... throw a mount on top and turn this bad boy into a mobile firing platform. I love when we got to play with these things. the only complaint I have is my gunner tended to shift fire right into the antenna if we was at the front of a convoy.. yea, even going down a lane I've seen a couple of these with the antenna blown off.
Sofilein is so polite. She lets the experts speak without interuption.
We had 3 of our guys run over an IED when we were in Iraq. The whole back side of it was gone, but everyone survived. Worked like a charm. Except against EFP's.. Gunners don't have EFP protection.
@Ford The corner, wheel suspension and some of the rear hull. It was the longer version of this vehicle.
Cougar next? That is the only one I used other than various Humvees and AAVs
Man that thing is a beast
Love this guy. Please do as many vids as possible with him. Thanks for the great vids.
I recall reading in a book the suspended seats were developed using fresh cadavers strapped into seat prototypes an a mock up vehicle with explosive charges beneath. After the blast, the cadavers were examined for degree of injury. Since the floor came up at high velocity, lower extremity injuries were common, as well as spinal fractures.
The battle bus!
It is VERY top-heavy, but a lot of armor.
The A/C is a joke...its hits the gunner's ass and NO ONE else in the back. The rear door is powered...but slow.
So the HEAT is turned on by a valve IN the engine compartment...so if you don't get BRIEFED on that...you are driving around and freezing or sweating until you get told. The a/c fan is loud as all hell, a scroll that screams when its running.
The side armor panels aren't empty, it's literally layers of ceramic tiles and is spaced armor, as pointed out.
The drivers thermal tended to give people headaches and they didn't want to use it. But I think that comes from not being forced to use them and train with them.
Grease pencils were also used a lot to write on the windows.
Also the axles will snap if you hit it with anything over 3 pounds of bang. Meant to keep larger charges from slapping the entire axle through the passenger compartment, but instead will send a wheel assembly screaming off to the sides.
Sounds like a rough time being in one lol
@@neurofiedyamato8763 beats walking 😄😉
So if a ass is front of the ac fan 🤔. It must be a great place to be in the "end" 💩🌬👃👍Not!
Ive been watching your channel and i love it, your providing a service to the x service guys and gals, to remember the days, your providing historical fact and information on what its like in all sorts of vehicles. Amazing how your channel is going well done you...!
Yesssssss, being loving these videos! A good look into the modern vehicles we don't get to see explained much
Thank you Sofi and JB!
In my own opinion the MAXXPRO MRAPs are best looking of the MRAP family of vehicles. Probably because they are modeled after already existing civilian style vehicles. The bad thing about it being so tall is that they tend to be too top heavy and flip over. I know the USMC has their own special variant with better suspension and wider footprint to keep it from rolling over so much. It's funny because if you go to Navistar Internationals website they show that they have recovery/tow trucks that they sell along with the MRAPs.
I'm at Ft Benning, but having a less fun experience...
Absolutely beautiful!!! And the MRAP is great too.
Please do more vids with JB. I could listen to him for hours 💪🏻🔥
Any suggestions?
@@bradm3a3 i think the US Military has enough vehicles. There is still a lot to tell :D
@@aggresivovic5215 yeah we do have a bunch, I would have liked to do some state of the art stuff but at the same time I do not want to be the one out there showing all of our capabilities. We chose these mraps and the Bradley because of my past experiences on those platforms. But if I have the chance we will do another video for my illustrious fans. And thanks for the kind words.
"Go do guys in the back stuff" lmao
As far as keeping you alive and safe from IED's and small arms, it works. Other than that, I find that design is lacking in many areas. Egress from the vehicle in an emergency is poor especially if you lose power and the only way out quickly would be through the upper hatch. They should have designed the rear door with an emergency disconnect where you could pull a lever or cross bolt and the door would simply drop open. The fire suppression system inside the cabin is also a problem. If they are using Halon and the interior catches fire, you have a choice of being burned alive without egress or suffocated from the Halon gas. The height and narrowness of the vehicle also makes it susceptible to roll overs making egress very difficult. As the narrator mentioned, being up in the hatch is problematic being thrown around on uneven terrain and trying to engage an enemy at the same time. They really need to go back to the drawing board on this one especially for the cost. Just my opinion from the narrators explanation and description. I give this fighting vehicle a "D" for poor design.
This is my fav new YT channel. These vehicles are soo cool, and this guy is such a wealth knowledge.
Spent a tour as the troop commanders gunner, my turret windows were COVERED in grids and notes. Used 4 different colored markers each platoon got a different color to help keep the info strait.... PS hated gunning on the Max pro like riding a bull
We had a few of these, OIF 07-09, along with RG-33L's and up-armored Humvees.
JB talked about this briefly, but there wasn't much harm in having personal gear on the back deck, because the gunner's field of fire (depression) to the rear was already severely limited just by the back of the vehicle itself. The gunner realistically only had the front 180* arc. But obviously most of the time you wouldn't have any extra stuff at all, because you were working out of FOBs or COPs.
The main reason to have everything possible *outside* is that gear forms secondary projectiles, or obstacles to safe egress from the vehicle. There are already rifles, ammo cans, water bottles, and 1000 other things which might break loose and hit somebody, and make it harder for them to escape.
I got into a fight with somebody one time about why all the rucksacks should be strapped to the outside of the vehicle. He was worried their gear would get dusty, or fall off and they would have to fill a statement of charges. I was more worried people would be trapped and burnt up by a mountain of unimportant shit. I lost that argument. I would have loved to have JB as an NCO at that time.
This is cool! I need an MRAP!! Love your classic M-65 field jacket. 🙂
Law enforcement was able obtain these for the cost of shipping- about the only way some agencies can obtain an armored rescue vehicle. Some have coil independent suspension all round.
So much South African technology in the US military. During my time in the military (South African Bush War) I was involved in both landmine and RPG incidents (casspir, Buffel, Olifant, Leopard, etc.) and we never lost anyone due to those hits. It's a pity that so much was taken from our technology (armour, sights and so much more) and no recognition has ever been made public to it's origin. I guess it's all about optics. Regardless, I'm dumbfounded why the electric motors for the wheels aren't mentioned either. Our vehicles had an engine that would run on anything combustible, which in turn ran the electric motors (each producing 120 Newtons) which were responsible for the wheel speed. The V-shaped hull will not allow any of the blast to go through the floor (I know this from personal experience)! Our side armour was also hollow and was angled both down and up (pending on the bottom or upper half it was fixed to). Inside we had gun ports that were adapted for R1, R4 and R5. and all occupants would be strapped in during the ride. The ropes are effectively a way to absorb the shock wave produced by a landmine/explosion/blast (on a fixed seat, the occupant would absorb this and end up with broken bones or worse, a crushed vertebrae). On contact/ambush, these would be released and the gun ports engaged (why the MRAP doesn't have these is mistifying?). Great South African technology, effective and proven in the field of war time and time again, keeping thousands of soldiers and civilians alike, safe. For a "modern" version this one has a lot of the original safety features missing. The drivers compartment is totally exposed and definitely not designed after the Casspir, etc. Such a pity, why leave out what definitely works? Perhaps we're back down to branding/costs? What value do you pit on a human life?
The difference between my era of M151's and 113's are crazy. Having AC in my track would have seemed like science fiction. But yeah grease pencil writing on the windshield of our vehicles, you could always find a grid there and sometimes a frequency you had forgotten
Beautiful vehicle. Great presentation.
Yeah ,good video,great vehicle,but I prefer the RG33, spent a lot of time upgrading them at the mrap sustainment facility in Kuwait those things are awesome.
Come back next week, you will enjoy it
I never got to ride in one back in 07-08 ( I was on strykers) but this one is my favorite if I had to choose. Awesome videos keep it up!
The only time I really remember riding in one I was in the battle of sadr city and wanted to leave UR to get some cigs and wanted a hair cut. I was part of the team that built lockheeds version of the JLTV. Should have won the contract. Now I know how the YF23 project felt like.
Swiss army knife kind of vehicle I like it. South Africa was pioneering vehicles like this in the late 70ties I think the Dutch army bought similar vehicles from an Aussie firm. Bushmasters if I recall it right. We lost so many people in unarmored Merc's. IED's are terrifying.
It was based on the dump truck platform because it had the weight and terrain capacity.
In newer models (Maxxpro plus) they added a backup camera in the left rear taillight assembly that displayed on the DVE screen.
I love this guy
I LOVE these kind of vehicles. And this 1 really looks awesome.
Mil 3010: you can see one in action there ! And, thats a heck of a door to close !
Being built on a International frame and drivetrain it's really a up-armored Brink's truck.
It looks like the new line of cabs for Seattle and Portland.
Curious about the tires on fires extinguishers. How many time have you had to use that, or heard of soldiers having or being able to use that? Seems like more of a riot thing than an ambush or mine thing. Guess when you need it, you really need it. I imagine the kind of moment when somebody has lit the tires are on fire is is exactly when you don't want to stop.
Never have seen it used, but guess it could be handy in you are trying to get out of a kill zone and shrapnel or something does light the rubber on fire
It’s definitely nice when your tires are not on fire!😂
Awesome veichle and awesome video guys, having you on these sofi i would buy a MRAP this second (if I had the money) these are absolutely brilliant,cheers again guys 🇬🇧✊🏼
De los blindados mas pesados este es mi favorito ,una bestia de batalla a toda prueba !!!!👏😎👏😎👏😎👏😎👏😎👏😎😎
Thank you Sof
Love both your hats! Go Chiefs!
This series of videos is awesome!
Can you get JB to do a walk around with the Cougar? This brings back so many memories. We did missions on the maxx pro, RG-33 Plus and the Cougar.
Congrats on being comment number 300. If I can find a cougar to walk around I'll hit it up if Sofilein will
@@bradm3a3 Guess it’s time for me to Ready my breakfast and eat hearty.
Awesome! I bet if you showed this guy a Rooikat or any other quirky SADF wheeled vehicle, there'd be a lot of both "hey, that's clever" as well as "no, that wouldn't work in Afghanistan".
This dude rules, this chick rules, everything about this rules.
The A-team would love a van like that and very cool
Stumbled across your channel and like the contents as I always want to see the inside of military vehicles and get a glimpse what a soldier experiences.
Now I know at least this model has AC, which I often wonder fighting in Africa in WWII or the recent 2 middle east conflicts were the soldiers EXPERIENCING what the inside of an oven is like.
It's uncomfortable, especially if you get something called prickly heat, where salt crystals from sweat form under your skin...drives ya nuts
Seems like they could’ve reduced its overall height by not including that strange second roof area for the turret ring. Not sure why they didn’t just put it on the main roof. Edit: I actually just saw that they made a version called the Dash where they got rid of that taller gun turret section on the roof.
It sure was a weird thing, like when you had to open the roof just to open the roof
Sofi... you borrowed that jacket, didn't you? Hey, I get it, a girls gotta stay warm.
Let's hope Don Shipley doesn't see this.
@@juicyj3819 I think she'll be OK. I don't see any rank insignia or other identifying markings.
Wish we had these in 05
Yup, it was all tanks, Brads, and HMMWVs with sandbags and add on metal
Why are the AC units in these trucks so huge? The size of a refrigerator, yet even home window mounted units are 1/4 the size?
Thanks for showing. Is that a prototype?
From December *1943*, an all-round fire MG was mounted on the roof of the German StuG III Ausf. G and replaced the original MG mount. The MG mount was designed in such a way that it was attached to the tower or the superstructure roof, but was operated from inside the vehicle. A periscope was used for aiming.
I like your channel, JB does a great job, thank-you.
Thanks, appreciate it
@@bradm3a3 I mean it JB, you really do a nice job of explaining it all in an informative, pragmatic and entertaining way - thank you 😊
@@jhors7777 really is my honor
We had some of these in Iraq they were always malfunctioning... we opted to start using the Caimon MRAP instead
I just want thank you so much your are a great help because I build models and i want to get it as accurate as possible so again thanks you guys are awesome
I wasn't a big fan of the Maxxpro or Caimen which we used in Iraq in 09-10...I preferred being on a Stryker in 04-05 to the MRAPs...we 1st saw IEDs with EFPs (explosively formed penetrators) in 04-05...the 1st Gen Strykers saved a lot of lives.
This is the coolest freakin' channel
I must say, you are a real good listener, Sofilein. Much psychologist training or pure good manners?
my team got stuck out in the middle of the desert south of spin boldak (kandahar) in one of those things...
we had to get rescued by strykers so they could drive us back to base. we promptly traded it in for a MATV, and I never had trouble d riving the MATV. Could take it up the side of a mountain on goat trails.
That HAGA next to it has my interest peaked.
Very informative! Thank you for the overview.
No problem, glad to do it
Really interesting. Thank you🙏
I had one of those. Mine had a mine roller on it though.
your videos are gold
“ water cans because the desert is hot “ WTF
And dry to boot!
good presentation
Was this the same type of vehicle that Meal Team 6 used in Texas to do some LEO dictatorial enforcement?
*HOW DO YOU GET ACCESS TO THESE MILITARY VEHICLES? ALSO GIVES AN INDIRECT INSITE WHAT SOLDIERS HAVE TO GO THRU IN WAR. HOW VEHICLES ARE MADE TO SAVE OUR SOLDIERS LIVES*
ive driven intl. box trucks, hit or miss on whether the darn cruise control would work that day
Still an issue.
Sweet, that was my last rig during my second tour in Iraq. HOWEVER, I will take my 1114 every time.
Be able to move the drivers night sight. Somebody forgot to tell the LAV designers that.