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Bennington Company Makes Vehicles for Afghanistan

Bennington, Vermont - October 27, 2009

As more than 1,400 Vermont guard soldiers prepare for their mission in Afghanistan, a Bennington company is working to keep them safe.

Plasan helps make vehicles designed to withstand road side bombs. Weighing more than 25,000 pounds, these military all-terrain vehicles aren't exactly light.

But they are an improvement. Up until now, most U.S. Soldiers in Afghanistan got from point A to point B in much larger mine resistant vehicles known as MRAPs, vehicles better suited for the flat terrain of Iraq.

Now, the Department of Defense is delivering a more nimble version to troops, one that can better maneuver the country's mountainous terrain.

"So right now the soldier has to make the decision of whether to go out in a lighter, less armored vehicle and be in harms way, or go out in a heavier vehicle and not be able to meet all the mission requirements," said Eyal Banail of Plasan North America.

"This vehicle is significantly more agile. It can go in the terrain we have in Afghanistan. The suspension system in this vehicle is unbelievable," Lieutenant Coll Haddon. 

The armor for the new MATV's is designed at Plasan North America in Bennington, which also produces armor for the MRAPs.

In July, Plasan and Wisconsin based Oshkosh Corporation were awarded government contracts worth more than $2 billion dollars to manufacture the new vehicles. Those contracts have created at least 100 new jobs in the Bennington area.

"There's no doubt about it. They will save a lot of lives. I hope so," said Banail.

Plasan also just purchased property to expand it's Bennington facility, planning to produce armor for 1,000 vehicles a month by year's end.

"We fell in love with the community here, the people. We have a great team here and that's what it's all about," said Banail.

The hull of the MATV's is what makes it unique. Like the larger MRAP's, it has a V shaped hull that will disperse the blast of a road planted bomb. Vermont guard troops have never used either vehicles, but they're expected to upon deployment.

"The most important thing about this is to save lives. We've got brave men and women out there in the field every single day," said Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy.

Keagan Harsha - WCAX News