The growing roadside-bomb threat in Afghanistan has lead to a spike in the number of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles requested by commanders in the field.

According to statistics published Friday by USA Today, the number of MRAPs requested in Afghanistan soared from 370 in August to 3,600 in October to 4,100 in November. And, according to the data, the number of roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan for the first time exceeded the number in Iraq. In March, officials said, there were 361 bombing incidents in Afghanistan, compared to 343 in Iraq.

The attacks in Afghanistan are more likely to be deadly than in Iraq — one of every three bombs in Afghanistan causes casualties, compared to one in seven in Iraq.

MRAPs, with their V-shaped hulls and more protective armor, offer better protection against bombs than U.S. military Humvees. But, there is a trade-off when it comes to mobility.

As Stars and Stripes reported earlier this year, the number of roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan has risen over recent months, reflecting a change in tactics by militants. Militant bomb attacks have now reached record levels.

"You’ve got a huge country, much larger than Iraq," Army Lt. Gen. Thomas Metz, director of the Pentagon’s program to combat bombs, was quoted as saying by USA Today.