rocco
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 71
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Post by rocco on Mar 30, 2008 22:43:41 GMT 12
Just heard on the grapevine. NZ convoy hit with an IED...no deaths...story developing.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 30, 2008 22:54:07 GMT 12
That's bad news. I assume an IED is some sort of explosive device?
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Post by sniff on Mar 31, 2008 5:43:37 GMT 12
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rocco
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 71
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Post by rocco on Mar 31, 2008 12:28:36 GMT 12
Official word - 1305 today.
---
Media Release
31 March 2008
KIWI PATROL HIT BY EXPLOSIVE DEVICE IN AFGHANISTAN
Yesterday morning Afghanistan time, a four vehicle patrol from the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team en-route to conduct a mobile medical clinic was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED).
The explosion hit the flank of one vehicle damaging the front lights and popping the windscreen. No shrapnel entered the vehicle and there were no injuries to any personnel.
The patrol immediately secured the scene and awaited the arrival of coalition bomb disposal experts, who are now investigating.
The patrol has returned back to their Forward Patrol Base and are continuing with their tasks as normal.
The incident occurred in the north-eastern part of Bamyan province, near the border of Baghlan province.
ENDS
The 107-strong NZ PRT is tasked with assisting in security and reconstruction in Bamyan Province.
There are currently 403 New Zealand Defence Force personnel deployed on 15 operations, UN missions and defence exercises around the world.
Point of contact: Captain Zac Prendergast, Defence Public Relations, 021 806 926.
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Post by stu on Mar 31, 2008 12:35:00 GMT 12
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Post by skyhawkdon on Mar 31, 2008 14:05:19 GMT 12
Given the increasing threat it must be about time the kiwis got some armoured vehicles to replace the soft skin 4WDs they seem to use?
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Post by corsair67 on Mar 31, 2008 16:27:40 GMT 12
Maybe some LAVS might be the way to go?
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Post by Bruce on Mar 31, 2008 16:35:43 GMT 12
The other night on TV1 news they showed a "Scrapheap Challenge" competition held amongst NZ army engineering and Logistics teams at Linton. They had to build a vehichle out of scrap, powered by a small 2 stroke engine and equipped with a magnetic boom arrangement to pick up certain items as it negotiated a course, under fire from paintball guns. All the teams did really well, however i couldnt help but think that the vehichles looked like ideal low - cost LAV alternatives!  see tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411365/1670886 |
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Post by alanw on Mar 31, 2008 16:39:05 GMT 12
Wife's former brother in law served in Iraq, told me of
how these people would use all manner of things to blow up, us the bad guys.
Convoys often had to travel double time speed and stay close together so any other vehicles could not squeeze in to detonate
their explosives (wipe out a Humvee) and tie up the convoy
IED's have been around for along time great way to tie up resources or taking out we the infidels.
A sad note is that the Kiwi contingent realistically are there to help build, not fight (unless they have to) goes to show the
taliban will use any leverage to set back the West's work to rebuild what they have destroyed
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Post by skyhawkdon on Apr 8, 2008 15:32:28 GMT 12
Despite the incident, there remains no intention to deploy any light armoured vehicles (LAVs) as they are unsuitable for the operation. Maj Gen Jones said the war in Iraq had already shown heavily armoured vehicles drew heavier fire and could still be destroyed by roadside bombs. Many Toyota utes used on patrol had additional protection in their doors and floors and soldiers also had access to more heavily armoured Humvees leased off the United States, he said. So why do we have nearly $1B worth of "unsuitable" light armourer vehicles then??? A LAVs armour has got to provide more protection than a modified 4WD. Me thinks there is more to the "unsuitable" than is admitted here. More likely unsuitable because they are too heavy for the roads there and can't go off road cause they get stuck! Bloody lemons!  |
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Post by Kenny on Apr 8, 2008 19:15:29 GMT 12
LAVs are not needed for the task, not suited for the conditions. NZLAV is good, but 105 should have been 30-40, with another type of armoured capability joining it. Filling 2 capability gaps. And then again, politicians dont do anything unless someone dies... BUT hey, if the army wants hiluxes i dont see any problem just remember Jeremy Clarksons tests - paultan.org/archives/2006/01/11/jeremy-clarkson-tests-the-toyota-hiluxs-hardiness/Youll see a new line of toyota military vehicles coming out soon ;D |
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 8, 2008 21:38:18 GMT 12
More likely unsuitable because they are too heavy for the roads there and can't go off road cause they get stuck! Bloody lemons! Canada will be interested to hear that as they have a battalions worth of LAV3 in Afghanistan as will Australia and the US Marines who are using the smaller LAV2 there as well. Paul |
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Post by skyhawkdon on Apr 9, 2008 7:03:36 GMT 12
A documentary I saw on Sky TV a few months ago followed a group of Canadians and their LAVs in Afganistan. The LAVs were hopeless as soon as they went off the formed road - they sank up to their bellies and when the tried to pull one out they destroyed the suspension on one wheel assembly. I have heard the same happens here if you take them off the road - more time spent recovering them than using them in the field. If the Canadians, Aussies and US are so happy with them in Afganistan why haven't we got some over there too? Why are ours "unsuitable" and theirs aren't? Surely the LAVs armour and firepower has got to be useful in an increasingly threatening environment?
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Post by 30sqnatc on Apr 9, 2008 18:59:06 GMT 12
May I suggest you barking up the wrong tree  They are not "unsuitable" from the capability perspective, they are unsuitable for our governments intent while they suit the intent of the Canadian, Australian and US governments? Perhaps if we send some of those fitted with blades and change the name to VBBFT'z ( very big b***dy fast tractors) then they could fit the 'reconstruction' part of PRT ;D As to " The LAVs were hopeless as soon as they went off the formed road', naturally a @20 tonne wheeled vehicle has limitations moving cross country but they definitely are not hopeless but I doubt you could ever be convinved otherwise  Paul |
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Post by Kenny on Apr 9, 2008 22:40:18 GMT 12
just goes back into the Wheeled Vs Tracked debate  Wheels = speed and easily repaired when blown/IED ect Tracked = More Offroad capabilty but hard to repair when blown/IED ect (from an operational/combat perspective) like ive said, the Lav is a nice piece of military machinery, but we diddnt need to go balls out on 105...  |
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