Blackwater will teach driving in armored vehicles

By Mike Baker

RALEIGH, N.C.

With a surplus of heavily-armored vehicles it didn't sell to the military, Blackwater Worldwide plans to teach driving skills to improve safety on rollover-prone vehicles widely used by U.S. troops.

Jim Sierawski, vice president for training of the Moyock-based private military contractor, said heavy patrol vehicles are scarce for training because so many are deployed overseas.

"We're another school to go to - another training option and training solution for the military," Sierawski said. "They get the same level of training they would in the military."

Blackwater has a surplus of heavily-armored vehicles it developed that were once meant to fulfill contracts that it eventually did not win.

The two-day courses, set to begin in December, will teach basic driving techniques common to all vehicles that are mine-resistant and ambush-protected - known as MRAP in military jargon. Participants will learn how to climb and descend hills and control the vehicles at steep angles. Instruction includes accident prevention skills.

Sierawski said participants will also learn how to operate with damaged or deflating tires - a skill often needed in hotspots.

"It's a basic course - it's a safety course," Sierawski said. "It's nothing high-speed."

Thousands of the MRAP vehicles are being used in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their hard shell and design protect occupants; the trucks sit high on a raised chassis and have V-shaped bottoms to shield their underbellies. But they have one drawback: the MRAP vehicles aren't as agile as Humvees.

The military has warned troops to be careful behind the wheel after five deaths where connected to vehicle rollovers. The military has also logged dozens of other accidents.

"Overseas, a lot of traffic accidents are happening because the guys aren't used to the characteristics of the vehicles," Sierawski said.

Blackwater said earlier this month that it has laid off an undisclosed number of employees after failing to win a government contract for its Grizzly armored vehicle, which the company had hoped would replace the Humvee. Blackwater had also developed a newer version of the heavier MRAP vehicles before the military decided to stay with its current version.

Sierawski said the company is training instructors for the course and identifying areas on its Moyock campus where the vehicles can operate.