The U.S. Department of Defense supplied Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in July 2024. The DOD announced Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, that it would send 24 additional vehicles. (Mitchell Corley/U.S. Air Force)
The U.S. military is sending additional equipment to Haiti to help the security operation in the Caribbean nation.
A U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane began delivering shipments of 24 additional Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) MaxxPro vehicles on Friday, according to a U.S. Southern Command news release. They will be added to the existing fleet of 10 U.S.-provided MRAPs, sent in July.
The shipments will be delivered and transferred to Kenyan personnel as part of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. The mission was first requested by Haiti’s previous government in 2022, and of the handful of countries that have together pledged over 2,500 troops, the Kenyan contingent remains the only group to have arrived, according to Reuters.
The C-17 transport missions also will deliver 34 Overhead Gunner Protection Kits, commonly called “turrets.” Department of Defense-funded contractors will install the turrets on the armored vehicles to enhance the tactical field of view and protection of MSS personnel utilizing MRAPs during joint security operations led by the Haitian National Police.
The delivery of the MRAPs follows President Joe Biden’s signing of a Presidential Drawdown Authority in April, clearing the way for the transfer of U.S. federal resources to nations contributing personnel to the MSS mission to bolster their support of Haitian led security efforts.
Under the drawdown, the Department of Defense (DOD) and other interagency partners are providing equipment, supplies, parts, and services needed to support MSS mission sustainment and operations, including vehicle fleet repairs and maintenance.
In addition to the articles and services provided to the MSS mission under Presidential Drawdown Authority, the United States has provided more than $300 million to support the mission’s effort, the Pentagon said.
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Publish date : 2024-08-24 13:00:00
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