Qatar facility helps expedite Humvee safety upgrades

Photo By Dustin Senger | Ram Chhetri, a mechanic from Nepal, installs turret parts with light from Ray Green, a mechanic from Charleston, S.C., inside the 1st Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade vehicle maintenance facility at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Oct. 10. The ITT-contracted mechanics helped finish retrofitting the Qatar facility's first M1151 up-armored Humvee to Fragmentation Kit Seven configurations on Oct. 8, upgrading it from FRAG-5. They had started their second vehicle upgrade.  

CAMP AS SALIYAH, QATAR

10.10.2009

Story by Dustin Senger 

Area Support Group - Qatar

CAMP AS SAYLIYAH, Qatar — The 1st Battalion, 401st Army Field Support Brigade vehicle maintenance facility showcased its first M1151 up-armored Humvee fitted with Fragmentation Kit Seven at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Oct. 10. Shipped from Iraq, ITT-contracted mechanics finished retrofitting the vehicle to FRAG-7 configurations on Oct. 8, upgrading it from FRAG-5. The Qatar facility is helping expedite the latest up-armored Humvee technology for war fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Central Command troops depend on Humvees for patrols, convoy security and transporting light cargo on the battlefield. FRAG-7 is the vehicle's latest up-armoring package; it began fielding earlier this year. Mechanics at the 1-401st AFSB vehicle maintenance facility are replacing obsolete parts and installing several innovations, in accordance with M1151 up-armored Humvee FRAG-7 specifications.

"FRAG-7 provides soldiers more protection," said U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Lee Bolding, from Gulfport, Miss. He is the 1-401st AFSB maintenance noncommissioned officer in charge at the Qatar facility. "It addresses several safety issues. Now you can escape out the window after a rollover." Vehicle Emergency Egress window kits integrate releasing levers for independently removing each windshield. Doors are easier to release after becoming jammed. Flame control is more dependable with enhanced fire suppression systems. Fuel filler door cover kits place additional armor and security around gas caps.

The Humvees latest up-armoring package protects gunners by implementing an overhead cover, designed by the Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center. The cover uses transparent armored glass for greater situational awareness without compromising safety. Retrofitted Humvees have equipment replaced inside the turret to make battery-powered motorized traversing units much more durable.

Additional occupant protection is offered by a removable roof appliqué, which was jointly developed by the U.S. government and AM General.

Several add-ons compensate for increased vehicle weight. FRAG-7 armor suspension kits are installed to enhance driver control and vehicle durability. Load Range "E" tires and replacement wheel assemblies improve vehicle reliability. Stronger brake kits boost stopping power.

"Soldiers like the suspension upgrades — FRAG-7 handles better on and off roads," said Charles Cole, from Colorado Springs, Colo. He is the ITT site manager at the Speicher vehicle maintenance facility in Tikrit, Iraq. Cole traveled to the Qatar base to support integration of the FRAG-7 mission.

"We usually work in two-person teams but this took three because of the extra weight," said Ray Green, an ITT mechanic from Charleston, S.C. His team finished the Qatar facility's first FRAG-7 retrofit in four days. Now that requirements are understood, each vehicle is expected to be completed within three days.

"Humvees look indestructible now," said Bolding, who has worked on Humvees for 20 years. "I remember when they had canvas doors and no armor. Today, they look like something out of the movie 'Mad Max.' Soldiers will know a FRAG-7 vehicle when they see it — instantly."

• Date Taken: 10.10.2009
• Date Posted: 10.10.2009 11:58
• Story ID: 39926
• Location: CAMP AS SALIYAH, QA