Navistar: Miss. plant to lay off 252

WEST POINT, Miss. -- A plant that builds mine resistant ambush protected vehicles for the military has laid off 252 workers.

Officials with Warrenville-based Navistar say the layoffs came after the military announced fewer MRAP vehicles would be ordered. Navistar is the parent company of International Military and Government LLC in West Point, Mississippi.

The vehicles involved are primarily used by the Marine Corps in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The MRAP is a heavily armored combat vehicle with a V-shaped chassis designed to protect soldiers from injury caused by explosions.

Navistar spokesman Roy Wiley says the Mississippi plant is still under contract to build a smaller MRAP model for the Marines.