Navistar International Corp.'s military subsidiary has been awarded a $623 million contract by the U.S. Marine Corps to provide 1,200 Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to be delivered by the end of February 2008.

The vehicle is called the International MaxxPro, and recent estimates value the total military MRAP procurement at more than $8 billion and in excess of 7,700 units.
"The opportunity to provide U.S. Armed Forces with protected vehicles is a great privilege," said Daniel C. Ustian, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Navistar International Corp. "A U.S. military vehicle order of this magnitude re-establishes Navistar as a prime supplier of tactical wheeled vehicles under the International brand. Our employees at U.S. plants nationwide will take pride in providing these military vehicles to help protect our forces overseas. The award fits with our strategy of leveraging our existing assets to achieve growth in markets outside of our traditional core businesses."
International delivered four units to the Marine Corps in March 2007 for extensive testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds to evaluate crew survivability and performance. The MaxxPro, powered by an International MaxxForce turbocharged diesel engine, was designed around the following:

• Crew survivability. International's MaxxPro features unique and advanced armoring and design technology to protect occupants on the battlefield from today's threats.
• Mission accomplishment. International designed the MaxxPro vehicle with protection, versatility and reliability in mind.
• Capability for immediate high rate of production. As one of the largest commercial truck and engine manufacturers, International has a dedicated integration facility for military vehicle production and is able to rapidly ramp up production to meet the military's desired levels.
• Ease of service and superior life cycle value. It is vital for U.S. forces on the battlefield to get vehicles maintained and returned to action as quickly as possible. Internationals MRAP vehicles were designed with operational readiness in mind. Commonality and utilization of readily available and well proven truck components helps reduce the logistical footprint for parts and service, which maximizes uptime.
With vehicles needed urgently on the battlefield, International's proven production capabilities and exemplary performance for delivering quality products on time will be a key consideration by the U.S. military for any future procurements against the contract.
International utilizes a modular concept, developed in conjunction with armor solutions provider Plasan Sasa, to armor its MaxxPro vehicles. The design positions the v-shaped crew compartment on top of International's proven heavy-duty truck chassis. The v-shaped hull is designed to deflect blasts from underneath the truck to dissipate around the crew area, minimizing damage.