Posted on 11/15/2004 9:47:05 AM PST by crushelits
Commanders have requested to nearly double the number of armored utility vehicles in Iraq to 8,000, in yet another shift in equipment needs to keep pace with an insurgency that continues to strike troops.
Acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee told of the newest requisition during a recent hourlong interview with The Washington Times.
It is the commanders' job in the field to devise the tactics to defeat an enemy made up of foreign terrorists, Saddam Hussein loyalists and criminals freed by the fallen dictator.
Back at the Pentagon, it has been Mr. Brownlee's job to make sure they have the guns, ammunition and equipment.
Perhaps in Army history there has never been a war whose character changed so quickly and required a whole new set of tactics and equipment -- within weeks.
"Suddenly, a different ballgame," Mr. Brownlee said.
U.S. war planners never foresaw that the fall of Baghdad would spawn a new enemy able to attack soldiers and Marines no matter their battlefield position. Rear-line support troops became just as vulnerable as front-line ones.
That meant the Army suddenly had a need for armored Humvee utility vehicles, armored trucks, more body armor and huge shipments of spare parts.
The problem became so acute by December that Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, then the top commander in Iraq, sent an urgent letter to the Army saying, "I cannot continue to support sustained combat operations with [readiness] rates this low." Soldiers were being killed by the score by roadside bombs, or improvised explosive devises (IEDs), that ripped through a Humvee's thin plating.
(Excerpt) Read more at insider.washingtontimes.com ...
There was a version half-done by a Depot unit over in Iraq. The basics are a 5-ton (old-style) chassis and engine cowl, with a M113 hull minus the powerpack mounted on it. The 5-ton cowl fits nearly perfectly into the space for the 113's engine. Anyway, the depot guys got the hull on the chassis, and had gotten as far as fitting the front windscreens, and cutting openings for the side windows, when they were ordered to desist. There were some good pics floating around for a while.
How does “request” become “plead”?
I agree. And, the 113's can carry a lot of firepower. Plus they are quick, can nearly turn in their own length. With the motors turned up, they can exceed 50 mph fully loaded.
I'm sure they'll have the new jacks. God speed and God bless! :)
I agreee. We need the right vehicle, whatever it is. Built in IED jammer/kevlar/think armor underside or better.
Spend 30 billion. I dont care. Not worth 500+ dead americans due to IEDS
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.