Blackwater-ARES MRAP II Proposal

Winston

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Recently, on the website Bring a Trailer a listing appeared for a military project based on a Seagrave chassis with center driving position.

Rare opportunity. Originally ordered for the military. Built in 2008 and never used. I have 6 units available all the same and they all have less than 5 miles! All run and drive and only need bodies. There fully wired and drivable. Also comes with titles for each unit. Each Chassis was $79,000! Build something amazing!!!!

I did some digging and found out it was produced by a Blackwater-ARES joint venture. The Grizzly APC1 was built by Blackwater Armored Vehicle and equipped with ARES EXO Scale appliqué armor.2 This vehicle is listed as a 4x4 contender in the MRAP II program.3 In March 2008 ARES stated its armor passed live-fire testing.2 However, vehicle was later disqualified in June because of limited armor protection in the frontal area.4

When the Pentagon places its final orders for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, it will buy first-generation 14- to 24-ton MRAPs with extra armor, not the 30-ton MRAP IIs, DoD and Marine Corps officials said.
The Army has been testing candidates for a planned order of MRAP IIs, the requirements for which were set after the appearance in Iraq of extra-powerful roadside bombs called explosively formed penetrators.
Candidates for the MRAP II order began undergoing blast and mobility tests at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., six months ago. The main contenders are a beefed-up version of BAE Systems’ RG 33, Blackwater’s Grizzly, Ideal Innovations, Oshkosh Truck and Ceradyne’s Bull, and a bulked-up version of Navistar’s MaxxPro.
Officially, Pentagon and Army officials will not make a decision between MRAPs and MRAP IIs until summer’s end, after the arrival of a field commanders’ report on MRAP.
During a Marine Corps program review in Quantico, Va., the last week of June, Blackwater officials learned that their Grizzly was out of the running, said an industry official involved in the process.
Blackwater had been hoping to discuss minor changes to the amount of armor protection in the forward area of the vehicle, the source said.
Instead, they were told that their vehicle had been disqualified because of its limited armor on the forward area — an amount of armor the Marines had already tested and approved, the source said.
“Even after we complained and said that [their actions] they would cause an automatic protest they told us, basically, ‘Go ahead and protest. We’re canceling the program anyway,’” the source said.

Later that year, after also losing the JLTV contract they shut down all vehicle manufacturing.5 Now these are being sold off. The Hemmings seller South Jersey Classics had 6 units and have subsequently sold for a bargain US$19,900, each. Imagine what they bought them for! The question remains how many Grizzly APCs were built in total.

Specifications (from seller)
Engine: Caterpillar C7 / 3126E Turbo Diesel
Output: 330HP at 2400 RPM, Torque 800 ft/lb at 1400 RPM
Transmission: Allison 300SP 5 Speed automatic
Torque Converter: Allison TC418
Transfer case: ?
Chassis: Seagrave Variable Section Frame, "120k psi" [120,000 PSI yield strength across the entire frame]
Axles: Meritor
Ratio: 6.14:1
Front Suspension: 19,000 lbs [brand, model?]
Rear Suspension: 23,000 lbs [brand, model?]
Wheels: Hutchinson run flat 20" x 10" 10 bolt
Tires: [Goodyear] 395/85R20
Dimensions: Length - 22.5ft; Width to outside of tires - 98inches; Frame width - 45 inches
Wheelbase: 11ft

sources:
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grizzly_APC
2 http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/ares-systems-group-armor-applique-gets-thumbs-up-from-army-aberdeen-test-center-827720.htm
3 http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/mrap-ii-var.htm
4 https://archive.is/syNC
5 https://www.defensetech.org/2008/11/24/blackwater-shuts-down-vehicle-manufacturing-updated/

listing: http://sjclassics.net/inventory_details.asp?InventoryNum=100

The listing is no longer available. However, if you want high resolution images, PM me.
 

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