NZ Soldier Killed in Afghanistan

[skyhawkdon]

Totally agree - the tools have to be appropriate for the task and the conditions at the time. I don't have a clue what the road condition are like there at the moment so LAVs or similar may not have been suitable. But if the conditions were suitable for them then the question has to be why aren't they in the tool box? I'm sure the LAVs gun would have been a big asset in this firefight.

Regarding my distraction about A-4s/F-16s I think it is irrelevant to this discussion. In reality we have neither and even if we did they wouldn't be in Afghanistan. I am also talking old technology with those platforms - clearly things have changed in the 10 years I have been out of it.

But we essentially lost the ACF so the Army could buy their 105 LAVs. So why aren't they available to be used by the PRT when conditions are suitable for them? We have sent some to work with the SAS in Kabul, presumably because of the superior protection they offered. Does the same logic not apply to the PRT?

[Kenny]

You have to weigh up alot of pros and cons, light, fast, and manuvarble soft skin vehicles with plenty of exit points in the event of IED, ambush response ect compared to a larger, well armoured personel carrier with larger armament but less exit points, well, just one..

My personal view is that i would never deploy the LAV in Bamyan. Besides our LAVs would provide little protection against larger anti-tank type IEDs without a strengthned V hull - which means money and potential structural issues including the possibility of a very top heavy vehicle. Not to mention the crew you would need ontop of troops to run the LAV(s) plus any support needed.

Just like pulling out from Afganistan after the enemy's now well publicised first kill, dont give them the satisfaction. Turn up in larger armoured vehicles, you admit defeat, and round 2 begins with larger explosives. Risky. But war is risky to begin with.

Then again, why not ask the people doing the job?

[Barnsey]

www.stuff.co.nz/national/4012524/Hero-soldier-laid-to-rest

A thunderous fly-past of army Iroquois helicopters has marked the start of a full military funeral for a New Zealand soldier killed during an ambush in Afghanistan.

[phil]

Good old Army, putting their Iroquois up for the event.

[oggie2620]

People keep chipping away suggesting that it might be good idea to reboot the RNZAF CAS capability. I hope it happens.
In the meantime I picked up on this young mans death and have plastered it over Facebook so other Brits and Americans will be aware we arent the ONLY people over there. He will rest in peace because he died doing what he loved doing for a country it was worth dying for.
Dee