Answering the call of duty

On August 31, President Barack Obama announced the end of the American combat mission in Iraq. “Operation Iraqi Freedom is over, and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country,” the President stated in his address to the nation. Approximately 50,000 of the 144,000 American troops (as of Jan. 2009) will remain until the end of 2011 to advise and assist Iraq’s security forces, conduct partnered counter-terrorism operations, and protect U.S. civilians.

At the same time, we have shifted our focus to Afghanistan, a country with a much different terrain and infrastructure, and there are continued U.S. military presences in countries all over the world.

These evolving military efforts keep a consistent and constant demand for military equipment. Contracts are frequently being awarded for hundreds of pieces of equipment per order. As the orders continue to roll in, companies are finding stable revenue streams, while offering a global benefit to those in need of infrastructure rebuilding and protecting our militants in combat.

Rick Sharp, Manager of Marketing and Contracts for Caterpillar Inc.'s Defense & Federal Products – Machine Products Div. suggests, “construction equipment will be even more important in Afghanistan than it was in Iraq. The Iraqi infrastructure was well established, while the Afghanistan infrastructure is poor with many roads being dirt or unimproved. The terrain in Afghanistan is also extremely rugged, making work difficult. This means a great deal of road and infrastructure work will be necessary.”

And while the terrain and infrastructure is different between Iraq and Afghanistan, Cat hasn’t seen a change in the technology on equipment being supplied to the different countries. “We haven't seen a difference between machines delivered to Iraq or Afghanistan. Construction equipment serves the same purpose in both operational areas – to build/repair infrastructure,” Sharp says.

Diversified in defense

Caterpillar Inc. recently announced it was awarded a long-term contract to manufacture over 900 Caterpillar 621G wheeled tractor scrapers for the U.S. Dept. of Defense (DOD), potentially worth up to $641.2 million. The machines will be manufactured in Cat’s Decatur, IL, facility and will support the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and U.S. Army’s efforts to construct roads and airfields, as well as other construction engineering operations that require soil to be moved quickly and safely.

“Some of the machines will receive armored cabs that we’ve already designed and are now starting to build the prototypes with our subcontractor,” says Sharp. “The armor kit will be tested thoroughly by the USMC and U.S. Army.”

And, while there are military specific requirements for the machines beyond armor such as lift and tie-down provisions to allow for easy military transportation, and keyless engine start, there is not a huge difference between the commercial and military versions of the 621G scraper.

“The government tries to procure construction equipment as close to commercial as possible,” explains Sharp. “The closer the machine is to the commercial vehicle, the better Caterpillar and the U.S. Military can support it around the world with Cat’s global dealer network,” he says.

This is the single largest award Caterpillar has ever won from the U.S. DOD. “This is an important win for Caterpillar, our Decatur facility and U.S. Marines and Army soldiers,” says Bill Springer, Caterpillar’s VP with responsibility for Diversified Products. That says a lot for Caterpillar, since they have been working with the DOD since World War One.

Beyond its well known construction and mining machinery portfolio, Deere-Hitachi Construction Machinery hosted representatives of the U.S. Army TACOM at its Kernersville, NC, facility on September 16 to unveil one of the 113 HYEX (hydraulic excavator) units to be customized and delivered to the Army during the next nine months.