June 12, 2009: The U.S. has developed a new suspension system for MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles, that enables them to more safely negotiate the cross country travel frequently encountered in Afghanistan. This is a country with few roads, and most of those are dirt and bumpy. The original MRAP design had both sets of wheels attached to a single axle. The revised system is an independent wheel suspension, which is the usual method used for vehicles operating cross country a lot. Such vehicles can be a bit trickier to control on hard roads, but Afghanistan has few of those. It will cost about $100,000 to convert each of the thousand MRAPs already in Afghanistan. The other thousand or so on the way can be converted before they are shipped. MRAPs are basically armored trucks, with a high center of gravity.