Posted on 04/09/2007 9:36:35 AM PDT by Clive
Armoured Vehicles in Afghanistan – Study of Casaulties – Aug 06/Apr 2007
Hard Numbers – CF Afghanistan Casualties vs Vehicle Type
Stephen Priestley, Researcher, Canadian American Strategic Review
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Canadian Forces Vehicular Casualties in Southern Afghanistan by Vehicle Type
The US vehicular fatalities in Iraq have been examined by James Hasik. Here we follow that example, listing Canadian Forces casualties in southern Afghanistan involving vehicles. So far, thankfully, the ‘sample size’ is fairly small. As a result, we have included all fatalities and woundings / injuries matched to vehicle type.
Nevertheless, the toll on CF troops is mounting. In an attempt to make our tallying simpler to follow, the chronological listing of vehicular casualties is now mounted on a separate page. Also added, a listing of Canadian casualties by vehicle type.
Note that only Canadian Forces personnel are counted (although in several cases other Coalition troops have been involved and civilian bystanders have also been killed and wounded ). No distinction has been made between superficial, minor, or serious wounds and injuries. Some non-CF personnel are noted but not counted. Where instructive, attacks on vehicles without CF casualties occuring are noted.
As an overview, the LAV III was involved in 14 incidents (with 12 fatalities and 51 wounds/injuries), the G-wagon in 10 incidents (6 fatalities – one resulting from an accidental weapons discharge inside of the G-wagon – and 16 wounds / injuries) the Bison in 8 incidents (4 fatalities and 16 wounds/injuries), the Nyala APV in 3 incidents (with 1 fatality and 8 wounds/injuries), and one Coyote reconnaissance vehicle (no casualties, two wounded in follow-up IED). So, what does this tell us?
Much attention was paid in the media to LAV III roll-overs. In fact, road accidents make up only 4 of the 14 LAV III incidents. The relatively high number of LAV III casualties must be balanced against crew size and the heavy use of this vehicle. By contrast, G-wagon crew size is small ( 4 vs 10 ) and use of G-wagons has been restricted. Despite this, the fatality / incident rate is high compared with the LAVs.
[Note: a 03 Oct VBIED attack on a G-wagon is included as an exception to the rule. No CF casualties resulted, the armour kit held up although the vehicle itself would be burnt out. The outcome was likely due to the size of the motorcycle-borne IED.]
Initially, the Bison seems to be a less tempting target for IED operators. That has now changed (perhaps due to the increasing size and power of IEDs in southern Afghanistan). More than half of Bison incidents now involve IEDs. A Bison was also involved in one, rather freakish road accident. The Nyala Armoured Patrol Vehicle has also suffered a single road accident and three IED attacks – one fatal.
That brings us to the notable differences between the US experience in Iraq cited by Jim Hasik and those of the CF in southern Afghanistan. While traffic accidents accounted for a large percentage of US casualties, that has not been the case for Canada. To date, three times as many casualties have resulted from enemy action (120 – from roadside bombs, VBIEDs and RPG attacks) as for traffic accidents (43).
A similarity between US and Canadian experience is the relatively small number of rocket-propelled grenades attacks (more CF infantry have been casualties of RPGs than have armoured crews). For the CF, this may have more to do with fairly good luck. In contrast with US armour, CF vehicles have not been fitted with RPG cages.
In a few cases, neither DND/CF or the media releases the type of vehicle involved. In one case of CF casualties resulting from a landmine incident (near Maywand on the Helmand border, 02 Apr. 2007), the vehicle type involved remains undisclosed. An 06 Dec. 2006 vehicle-borne IED attack on a convoy involved a CF “transport truck” fitted with armour glass. Presumably, this was a 10-t HLVW but might have have been an LSVW. On 03 Oct. 2006, the latter vehicle was effected by an IED. A G-wagon took the brunt of this attack but a nearby LSVW was also burnt out. See CF vehicular casualties in Kandahar in chronological order or by vehicle type.
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They are so bad that Crown they are not even going to Crown Assets Disposal Corporation for resale. They are not worth the trouble and expense of shipping them back to Canada. Instead they will be left in Afghanistan for whatever use the Afghans may wish to make of them.
Our people are better protected than they were in the first deployment in 2002. But then, everything is relative.
They have bodyshops in ‘Stan? Wonder if there are any lowriders there...
I remember seeing one of those Iltis vehicles in Spain. The owner was a teenager who bought one surplus from the German Army. The thing was still painted in overall NATO Green.
The thing may have been great for driving along the beach, but it looked like a scary vehicle to go into combat with.
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