Innovation and Necessity: The Evolution of Military Vehicles from Vietnam to the GWOT

Presenter Information

Elizabeth Woodard

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Campus where you would like to present

SURC 137A

Start Date

17-5-2012

End Date

17-5-2012

Abstract

This presentation will show how important military history is in developing current military doctrine and procedure. By examining its history the military is able to improve upon its doctrine, tactics and even equipment to better fit the needs of contemporary conflicts and decrease casualties. Even without the proper equipment for the battle environment an operation may be doomed to failure from the start. This presentation will look at the development of armored military vehicles and the application to their appropriate theater of operations. Taking an example from history first will give a perspective on where the military vehicles began. The presentation will explore the creation of the “Gun Truck” due to the innovation of the soldiers of the Vietnam War and their need for a defensive vehicle. It will then show how the military, as an institution, learned from this previous occasion and applied the new knowledge to current conflicts. The presentation will then examine how the creation of a new defensive vehicle in the Iraq conflict was originated by the senior officers of the military due to necessity. Their understanding of the need for a vehicle that suited the theater and circumstances gave rise to the fabrication of the Mine Repelling Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The presentation will compare the creation of these vehicles and examine their features for effectiveness in each conflict.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Brian Carroll, Matthew Wilson

Additional Mentoring Department

History

Additional Mentoring Department

Aerospace Studies

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
May 17th, 12:00 PM May 17th, 12:20 PM

Innovation and Necessity: The Evolution of Military Vehicles from Vietnam to the GWOT

SURC 137A

This presentation will show how important military history is in developing current military doctrine and procedure. By examining its history the military is able to improve upon its doctrine, tactics and even equipment to better fit the needs of contemporary conflicts and decrease casualties. Even without the proper equipment for the battle environment an operation may be doomed to failure from the start. This presentation will look at the development of armored military vehicles and the application to their appropriate theater of operations. Taking an example from history first will give a perspective on where the military vehicles began. The presentation will explore the creation of the “Gun Truck” due to the innovation of the soldiers of the Vietnam War and their need for a defensive vehicle. It will then show how the military, as an institution, learned from this previous occasion and applied the new knowledge to current conflicts. The presentation will then examine how the creation of a new defensive vehicle in the Iraq conflict was originated by the senior officers of the military due to necessity. Their understanding of the need for a vehicle that suited the theater and circumstances gave rise to the fabrication of the Mine Repelling Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. The presentation will compare the creation of these vehicles and examine their features for effectiveness in each conflict.