Posted on 11/26/2005, 3:19:03 AM by denydenydeny
I've just learned that during an operation near Baghdad, this morning, one of our armored vehicles - a brand new one unofficially referred to as "The Rock" - was hit by an IED. The vehicle sustained no major damage, and - best of all - ZERO injuries were suffered by passengers or crew.
I first reported on "The Rock" earlier this month at NavySEALs.com and elsewhere. It is being manufactured by Kuwait-based Granite Global Services which was founded in the spring of 2004 by SEAL Reservist Chris Berman, then-working for Blackwater Security. Berman started the company after four of his Blackwater buddies were ambushed and killed in Fallajuh. After escorting all four bodies home, Berman decided to build a heavily armored, ultra-fast (the thing can cruise at 80 mph), gun-bristling, urban-warfare vehicle that would save passenger lives in combat.
His first truck rolled off the line in June. It's been shot at a lot, but no ball-round ammunition can penetrate its armor. Today it was hit by an IED for the first time, and Berman emailed me saying, "I must brag when it is this good."
Further information here.
Great news - would love to see a picture of this beast!
What was that other one someone was making? Looked like a boat and had 6 or 8 wheels? Was on here a few weeks ago.
This is wonderful news. I am very hopeful that this type of vehicle will protect our soldiers; I am especially interested in this since I have two brothers fighting in Iraqi Freedom- one with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division Baghdad Task Force (Ft. Stewart, GA) and the other just back from his Iraq Tour with the 11th Expeditionary Unit with the US Marines in Najaf/Falluja(Camp Pendleton, CA)
Thanks for the post!!!
Why Buy a Granite Vehicle?
The Granite Global Services company management are ex military. They have years of experience in the field of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other inhospitable and dangerous environments. They have operated many of the other vehicles available currently.
Other fully armored vehicles were designed for military operations they are slower and less spacious. Hardened (armored) cars were designed to move in cities where crime was the threat not ism nor a war zone with insurgents and their high powered weapons.
Other vehicles are not a custom made defendable passenger vehicle like the Granite APC – 1. They are generally neither easily maintained nor cost effective. The Granite APC – 1 is a Ford with easy maintenance, parts availability and durability.
Granite has round protection. Armor kits and conversions only harden the vehicle and once added the additional weight often exceeds the manufacturer’s weight limits and the vehicle is therefore unstable and prone to rolling over. Whereas the Granite APC – 1 is fully custom built and armored completely well within the manufacturer’s weight limitations. The floor, roof, all walls, fuel tank, engine and transmission areas are all armored. The windows sit in specially designed frames that leave no gaps around the edges where unlike other vehicles the ‘’Golden Bullet’’ may penetrate.
The build time for the Granite APC – 1 is faster than the competition. You need your vehicle quickly in order to protect your company personnel from harm. You cannot wait several months.
SO WHY ARE YOU WAITING?
*sighs* More bad news for the American left. We should drive one of these things past Camp Casey....
That's right, we should run it over Cindy's brand new monument
Actually, the front looks a lot like Cindy's face.
Will keep your family in prayers.
Whoa! Welcome back! And thanks! Oh, I just remembered the thing was used for disabling/grabbing/exploding IEDs. Ring a bell?
Thank you for your kind words and prayers
I was thinking the tail end looked about as wide as cindy's a$$.
LMAO!
Well f'r goodness sake.... no wonder it survived! Something that ugly would repel anything!
Looks kinda like a Pontiac Aztec or a Dodge Magnum. Butt-effin-ugh-LEE.
To the gentleman who designed and built this vehicle- thank you for saving the lives of these troops! My hat is off to you!
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