Navistar Racing the Clock

OKLAHOMA CITY -- These days, Navistar (NAVZ Quote) feels a pressing need for speed.

The Warrenville, Ill., manufacturer has come out of nowhere to become a top supplier in the lucrative, fiercely competitive race to supply the military with mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles. This story is the first installment in a five-part series examining the top players in the multibillion-dollar MRAP bidding.

Navistar, which came to fame as a maker of commercial trucks, has surpassed rivals including Force Protection (FRPT Quote) to become one of the biggest suppliers under MRAP, with orders for some 2,000 trucks. The government is anxious to get its hands on the trucks, which are armored to protect U.S. troops deployed in overseas hotspots such as Iraq and Afghanistan. ...