Rolling in The Rock

Fire of Liberty


Now here is an example of how people in America seem to get things done when they are presented with a problem. Instead of going through the paces of presenting this new design to the folks at the Pentagon, then a lengthy process of having one feasibility study after the other done, followed by the political fight that's involved in getting the product through the Senate Armed Service Committee and onto some Defense Department procurement list barring some senator or higher up rejecting it for their pet project, Chris Berman, a Navy SEAL Reservist and former employee at Blackwater Security, decided to form Granite Global Services in Kuwait to focus on the building of heavily armored SUV's that put the up-armored Humvees that Congress has been carrying on about to shame.

Here's what W. Thomas Smith Jr. had to say over at Navy Seals.com about this awesome shield of an vehicle that is currently roaming in the streets of Iraq:

Built on a Ford 4X4 truck chassis with "“street tires,"” The Rock weighs approximately 15,500 lbs. (depending on an individual vehicle'’s armor and armament configuration), but it'’s fast. "“It'’s governed at 94 mph, but – at 15,000 pounds - we can comfortably do 80,"” says Berman.

The vehicle's armor is comprised of three layers: First is the outer Polyeurea coating. This is followed by the actual armor. Then there is a blanketing insulator. These three layers surround the entire vehicle – roof, sides, front, rear, and below the floorboard. "“It is 100 percent armored,"” says Berman.

Moreover, the outer skin of the vehicle has a "“bolt-on"” feature that permits additional layers of armor to be attached to the existing armor. An RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) screen may also be added, similar to the screen/cage on the U.S. Army'’s Stryker.

The Rock can haul a four-man crew and six-to-eight passengers depending on its configuration.

And it can fight!

During an urban combat operation, two combatants would be positioned topside in two roof turrets manning belt-fed machineguns. Six windows with spring-loaded gun ports would add to The Rock'’s firepower. Consequently, when "“this porcupine comes down the road,"” as Berman says, it will be bringing eight guns to bear on any bushwhackers. That fact alone serves as a deterrent.

Two such vehicles equals sixteen guns, four of which "“are big belt-feeders on the roof,"” says Berman. "“Anyone who wants to attack that is slapping at the wrong person.Â"

So the optimum question might be, has The Rock saved lives? "“I'’d like to think so,"” says Berman. "“They currently are not shooting any guns in Iraq that will penetrate our body. We also have a poly liner on it so you'’re really not going to see where the bullets hit. A 7.62X39, which is an AK-47 round, does not do anything against our armor but dissipate energy. If your eyes are closed you cannot feel the bullet impact of an AK-47 round against our vehicle."

In fact "The Rock" has proven it's weight in gold by withstanding the blast of the IED, which has become an all too common fact about the streets of Iraq. According to a post by W. Thomas Smith Jr. on National Review Online's blog "The Corner," this super-duty truck sustained no major damage and the folks in the truck and what's even better is that the folks inside weren't hurt. It'd be great if the folks at the Pentagon would put in a big order for these trucks but who in their right mind would be willing to go through the Pentagon red-tape and wait years to get the vehicles to Iraq.