New U.S. armored vehicles performing well

CHARLESTON, S.C., Jan. 21 (UPI) -- A $22 billion investment in new armored vehicles for U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq is showing good returns, the Pentagon reported.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited the military's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, S.C., last week where finishing technological touches are put on the vehicles before being flown or shipped overseas, USA Today reported Monday.

About 1,200 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected trucks are produced each month, and 2,225 of the vehicles have been delivered to Iraq and staging areas in Kuwait, the military said.

Speaking to workers, Gates said since deploying the MRAPs last fall, the U.S. Army hasn't lost a single soldier in 12 roadside bomb attacks targeting the new trucks.

The trucks have a V-shaped hull and raised chassis that deflect bomb blasts outward, away from troops inside.

Military spokesman U.S. Army Maj. Winfield Danielson said more than 300 roadside bombs exploded or were discovered by U.S. troops in early January, the report said.