Thread by @DefenseNigeria

Why Nigerian troops love MRAPS.

In 2018 a Nigerian army patrol team comprising three 14-ton Bigfoot MRAPS were conducting a mounted patrol in Borno. The scout platoon crept slowly because the route had become known as a death trap when ever there are sand storms.

These sand storms are a nasty and unpleasant extremely. Troops dread sandstorm more than insurgents. With Boko Haram at least they can defend themselves. In sand storms they are completely helpless. It cuts visibility down to a few yards.

You cannot step out of the vehicle. 5 mph is a safe driving speed in these conditions. Its an unnerving experience driving at 5mph in roads that is potentially strewn with improvised devices (IEDs) yet you cannot see what's in front of you.

As the vehicles crept on, a small boy with a lagbaja like custume riding a bike pedaled around the lead MRAP. He stopped in front of the 10 foot tall CS/VP3 MRAP and shook his head before quickly taking off in the opposite direction.

Looking back, the troops now realizes that was a signal. The boy was trying to warn him. A short distance down the road, not far from where the boy stopped his bicycle, an IED containing 300 pounds of homemade explosive detonated under the lead MRAP,.

This is precisely the type of life threatening event for which the MRAP was created. MRAP has proven to be 20 times safer than technicals against IED attacks like this. The casualty rate for an MRAP is 6 percent, compared to 90% for gun trucks .

When vehicle hit the ground, the engine compartment was engulfed in flames. The back tires were torn to shreds. But all passengers in the vehicle were alive. Had they been traveling in a Toyota 4x4 they certainly would have not survived.

The increased survivability that MRAP provided in IED blasts, however, came at a price. The tires shredded, the vehicle damaged beyond repair.

At least they lived to fight another day. Vehicles can be replaced. Lives cannot.