Vehicles on way to combat: Charleston C-17’s will move hundreds of armored trucks

Picture a parking lot filled end to end with vehicles. But instead of a colorful spread of minivans, sedans and trucks, it holds rows of militaristic, tan-colored war-fighting vehicles destined for combat zones in Afghanistan.

Charleston Air Force Base crews are preparing to handle hundreds of these Wisconsin-made vehicles that are designed to be sturdy enough to withstand a mighty explosion but lightweight and maneuverable enough to navigate the country’s steep, undeveloped landscape.

Base officials plan to begin shipping between 300 and 500 vehicles a month to Afghanistan on C-17 cargo jets.

“When there’s a new weapons system that needs to get to the war fighter quick, the first place they turn to is the Charleston Air Force Base, which is a great honor,” said Lt. Col. Robert Neal of the 437th Aerial Port Squadron Command, who oversees the base’s cargo operations.

Neal and other officials marked the informal launch of the new mission Tuesday, standing in front of two of the first lightweight model vehicles, which will be shipped to Afghanistan in the next few days.

The Pentagon has ordered 5,244 lightweight, mine-resistant vehicles at a cost of more than $1 billion. They are expected to be finished early next year.

The vehicles are manufactured by Oshkosh Corp. in Wisconsin and transported to the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic in Hanahan, where they are outfitted with military radios and other specialized electronic gear.

Locally, Ladson-based Force Protection Inc. makes a similar model at its plant on U.S. Highway 78, but it didn’t win this particular contract.

Once a certain number of the Oshkosh vehicles make it overseas, military officials will begin shipping some through the Port of Charleston, which they say is a cheaper mode of transportation. For now, they will be airlifted.

“We’re trying to get these trucks over there fast because they save lives,” said David Hanson, deputy program manager for the Joint Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle Program.

Three flights will likely leave the base daily. Each C-17 jet can carry three of the vehicles.

Ground and air crews at the North Charleston base are no strangers to moving vital combat equipment overseas, including heavy armored vehicles. They helped load and fly more than 3,000 MRAP trucks to Iraq in recent years. Those heavy-duty, less- maneuverable models served as replacements for Humvees, and were well-suited for Iraq’s more developed infrastructure and road systems.