Airmen ship first M-ATVs to Afghanistan - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Airmen ship first M-ATVs to Afghanistan

CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. — Airmen on Wednesday began distributing a new version of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicle.

The MRAP All-Terrain Vehicles, or M-ATVs, were the first to be delivered to the Afghanistan theater for operational use, and many more are to come, said David Hansen, deputy program manager of the Joint MRAP Vehicle Program in Quantico, Va.

Two brand-new M-ATVs departed the base for Afghanistan in early morning aboard a C-17 Globemaster III from McChord Air Force Base, Wash.

From now through December, between 300 and 500 M-ATVs each month are expected to be airlifted to Afghanistan via Charleston.

The 437th Aerial Port Squadron at Charleston has shipped more than 3,700 MRAP vehicles to operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, said Lt. Col. Robert Neal, commander of the 437th.