BENNINGTON – For employees at Plasan North America, the military contracts that provide work to this manufacturer of specialized armor have provided a rare bright spot in a tough economy.

But there's an added benefit for the workforce, one that many Vermonters may not be aware of: The armor manufactured in the plant is expected to be critical in protecting American soldiers going to Afghanistan – including 1,450 Vermont National Guard soldiers.

Last week, the Oshkosh Corp., of Wisconsin, announced it had been awarded another order for mine-resistant, ambush-protected all-terrain vehicles, which use the acronym M-ATV's. The $175 million order for another 400 of the M-ATV's puts the total value of the contracts at about $3.3 billion for about 6,660 M-ATV's.

Sheri Loomis, of Bennington, an employee at Plasan North America, appreciates that the contracts mean continued employment for her and her co-workers but more than most, she's also aware that it's not just another job.

Loomis has two sons serving in the military, Sgt. Olin Harrington, who is with the U.S. Army in Iraq, and Sgt. Jeremy Harrington, one of the Vermont National Guard members who will be leaving early next year for Afghanistan.

"I love working on (research and development for armor) but sometimes I have really bad days. It's a serious job. We're kind of like doctors because we're trying to save lives," she said.

Loomis, who was one of many in Bennington who took part in a send-off for National Guard members on Thursday, said it is hard when workers test armor and find a bullet got through because she knows what that could mean but it also gives them a chance to make the armor as good as it can be before it goes out into the field.

Loomis, who works at the plant with her daughter, Jessica Harrington, said there is a wall in the factory where she and co-workers put up pictures of relatives and friends who are serving in the military as a reminder of the importance of their work.

"I feel pride every day for what we do. A lot of other people who work there feel it too. Every day, it's like, 'Let's do things better, better, better,'" she said.

The M-ATV, which the plant builds the armor for, is not just important because it can save troops' lives but also because it's the next generation of military transportation.

In "Danger Room: What's Next in National Security," a Web log on the Wired magazine Web site, journalist Nathan Hodge wrote about what makes the M-ATV something new for the American soldier.

The Dec. 2 article, "High-Tech, Armored Off-Roader Key to Afghan Surge," co-written with Noah Shachtman, points out that troops are obviously important to the effort in Afghanistan.

"But unless those troops can get around the country without getting blown up, this latest surge is going nowhere fast which is why the Pentagon is in the middle of a crash program to build and ship to Afghanistan a new generation of bomb-resistant off-road vehicles, equipped with everything from composite armor to 'electronic keels,'" Hodge wrote.

The armor combines metal composites, ceramics, and high-pressure fibers in a process developed by Israel-based Plasan Sasa but manufactured in the United States at the Bennington plant.

Hodge said that armor was one piece of what made the M-ATV's different from their predecessors which went by the acronym MRAP vehicles.

"Basically, (the M-ATV) is a big armored box that gets troops from point A to point B but typically in these kinds of vehicles, it's been a trade-off between weight and survival. It's been pretty remarkable what (Plasan) has been able to achieve because what usually protects soldiers in the armor game is inches of steel. But Plasan has been able to cut down the size of the material without reducing the protection," he said in a phone interview on Tuesday.

Both MRAPs and M-ATVs protect occupants with a wedge-shape at the bottom which diverts the force of a blast to either side of the vehicle.

MRAP vehicles were part of the deployment in Iraq. But while the vehicles were tough and saved lives, they weren't appropriate for Afghanistan; their suspensions were not designed to withstand the terrain and because they were top-heavy, they were also prone to rolling over, Hodge said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited the Oshkosh plant in November and talked about how the differences from a standard MRAP were so important.

"It really is a reflection of how different Afghanistan is than Iraq. What became clear when we sent MRAP's, regular MRAP's, into Afghanistan is that they did not have the kind of all-wheel capability that was needed in the very rough terrain. Afghanistan doesn't have nearly as many roads or paved roads as Iraq did, so there was a need for a significant off-road capability," he said.

Gates said that improvised explosive devices cause about 80 percent of American casualties in Iraq but that M-ATV's save lives and limbs through their armor, and in other ways.

"The reality is, we're dealing with a country, because there aren't a lot of roads, if you can get off the roads and into off-road terrain, the chances of avoiding (improvised explosive devices) are significantly greater," he said.

In an article for Machine Design, a trade publication for engineers, Senior Editor Stephen Mraz provided technical specifications for the M-ATVs, including its top speed of 65 mph and its range of 320 miles. An M-ATV, which weighs about 12 tons after being loaded, can go from 0 to 30 in 11 seconds and holds four passengers and a gunner.

Mraz said the "key" to Oshkosh's success in winning the bid from the U.S. military to produce the vehicles is its proprietary independent suspension system, the TAK-4, which "gives the wheels 16 inches of travel, enough to get over boulders, downed trees, and other obstacles."

The vehicles can also survive battle damage while getting occupants to safety, Mraz notes.

"The M-ATV will also be riding on run-flat tires, letting it travel up to 50 miles at 30 mph after taking several hits in two of its tires. The engine, by the way, should be able to survive a 7.62-mm round in the oil, coolant or fuel-storage systems and still run long enough to get one kilometer away," he wrote.

A central tire inflation system allows the operator to control the tire pressure in each individual tire which can provide better control over different kinds of surfaces.

The Synexxus Electric Keel links together a number of information-gathering and supplying devices like sniper detectors and trackers which show allied vehicles on a digital map so soldiers know when they're facing a friendly vehicle.

Hodge said it was possible that M-ATV's could also be equipped with common remotely-operated weapons stations, which allow the soldiers inside to find and fire at targets while still inside the vehicle.

Hodge, who has ridden in a MRAP in Afghanistan, said the dashboard of the vehicles was more like that of an aircraft than a truck and that special training was given not just to the drivers but also those who will be passengers.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was a strong supporter of the M-ATV with its connections to the plant making armor in Bennington. Leahy said he had seen the need for the vehicles when he visited Afghanistan earlier this year.

"Everybody I talked with when I was in Afghanistan said how important it was (to have properly armored vehicles) and if you fly over that terrain – and I did in a helicopter, just looking at the areas where (the Vermont National Guard members) are going to be – you don't have to be a logistical wizard to know how important they would be," he said.

Leahy said he feels a responsibility to Vermonters and other American soldiers who are called to serve in foreign countries.

"We ask the men women of the armed services to put their lives on the line, which they do. We have a responsibility to do everything we can to protect their lives … Our National Guard and throughout the country … they never let us down. I just want to make sure that those of us who are the policy makers in Washington don't let them down," he said.

patrick.mcardle@rutlandherald.com