Armored trucks cut IED deaths among allied troops

“This is precisely why the secretary has been so adamant that we get as many MRAPs as possible to Afghanistan,” Morrell said. “In the counterinsurgency fight, one of the best ways to protect our troops has been the MRAP.

The MRAP’s ability to reduce casualties is important, said Andrew Krepinevich, president of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. But other factors are also considered in determining its usefulness.

“Ultimately it will be judged more on whether it helped U.S. troops accomplish their mission in Afghanistan than on its ability to reduce casualties,” Krepinevich said in an e-mail. “Right now the war’s outcome is still in doubt. If we succeed, the MRAPs, despite their high cost, will be seen as worth it. If we fail, some people will likely question whether we could have succeeded by adopting a different strategy and employing our resources differently.”

Meanwhile, IEDs remain deadly in Afghanistan. Last week, seven troops from the U.S.-led coalition were killed by roadside bombs.

Military officials rarely release data regarding attacks on vehicles, citing concerns about providing information of use to insurgents.

Johnson, the military spokesman in Afghanistan, said there has been a drop in deaths and injuries from IEDs in the past 12 weeks compared with the same period in 2009. “This period covers what is historically the enemy’s last offensive push before retreating for the winter,” Johnson said in an e-mail.