Armor: July 16, 2005

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Convoy protection is where much of the fighting occurs in Iraq, and the most popular weapon for American troops guarding those convoys is the five ton gun trucks. This vehicle is a M923 U.S. Army truck converted to a combat vehicle with the addition of armor and automatic weapons. By equipping the trucks with two layers of steel armor, in addition to ballistic fiberglass, the crews are immune to most IEDs (roadside bombs). The crews are also protected from rifle and RPG fire. The typical M923 is equipped with a .50 caliber (12.7mm) machine-gun, a 7.62mm machine-gun and an automatic 40mm grenade launcher, which provides ample firepower to defeat any ambush force the convoy might encounter. Weapons for a gun truck vary, with the six soldiers in the crew often experimenting with different types and mountings of weapons. Experience has shown that one gun truck, for every eight cargo trucks in the convoy, provides the best level of protection. The M923 truck weighs ten tons, and can carry up to nine tons. The vehicle is 25.6 feet long and 8.1 feet wide. The truck bed is 14 x 7 feet. The truck can travel about 500 kilometers on a tank of fuel. The army has about 32 of these gun trucks in Iraq, where they are used daily to escort convoys through dangerous areas. 

 

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