October 11, 2010: The U.S. Army is buying 380 armor kits for its 14 ton M915A5 6x4 tractors. Costing $18,500 each, the armor kits protect key components and the crew of the tractor (which is basically a militarized commercial vehicle, the Freightliner FLD120). The M915A5 was little modified for military use, while incorporating commercial features that suited military operations (like off road suspension and collision avoidance system.) The armor kit, however, is a feature not available for the FLD120. This is the second such order for these kits. The initial order, for over a thousand kits, was made last year. The armored M915A5 makes it safer to take tractor-trailer loads of supplies through parts of Iraq and Afghanistan that are full of guys with guns who like to shoot at anything that moves.