Navistar Defense, LLC is encouraging customers to think beyond the standard applications for its MaxxPro® MRAP and understand how the vehicle could be used for additional missions.
Navistar Defense is showing its MaxxPro as a Mission Command on The Move (MCOTM) vehicle, at the ongoing Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting (21-23 October 2013; Washington, D.C.).

The troop carrier comfortably seats five passengers in the trailer and incorporates brackets and mounts for computers and technologies used for surveillance while on the move.

“This variation of our MaxxPro greatly improves the tear down and set up time associated with mobile commands, eliminates the need for an additional vehicle with generator power and allows for real time situational awareness of the Common Operational Picture,” said John Akalaonu, Senior Program Manager, Navistar Defense.

In addition to the MCOTM, Navistar Defense offers the Dash, an ambulance version of the MaxxPro, as well as Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) and Modular Integrated Command Post (MICP) variants. The EOD stores two robots which can deploy and recover into the vehicle without exposing the passengers to the threat of improvised explosive devices. The MICP was developed in partnership with the Army to provide the survivability, communications capability and power generation in one vehicle what previously required five. The MICP solution greatly reduces vehicle and fuel footprints and allows for improved mission readiness.

“It is really important to us in this time of sequestration to help our customers understand how they can use differently what they already have. Our MaxxPro is a survivable, enduring and highly capable platform. What we’re showing here is one opportunity, and we’re asking customers to challenge us for the next,” said Bob Walsh, Vice President and General Manager, Navistar Defense.

The Navistar Defense team is already exploring uses for the MaxxPro as a maintenance truck to weld and fix vehicles in the field; adding mortars to the back of the vehicle to produce an Offensive Weapon System; providing the vehicle architecture to support an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance control; and adding a water reservoir body for use as a Non Lethal Water Cannon for controlling large thermal incidents, like forest fires.

“We realize our customers are using our vehicles differently as threats and needs evolve. What we are doing is showing them how they can leverage what they have to fulfill their missions,” Walsh said.