Posted on 02/09/2006 4:43:25 AM PST by Cannoneer No. 4
Yet another European nation is replacing its Cold War era armored vehicles, with wheeled vehicles similar to the American Stryker. Belgium has ordered 241 Piranha IIIC vehicles. This vehicle is based on the Piranha III LAV, long used by the U.S. Marines. These vehicles were designed by Mowag of Switzerland, a company now owned by General Dynamics. The 14 ton, 8x8 vehicle has a maximum road speed of 100 kilometers an hour. Belgium is getting several variants of the vehicle, (99 infantry carriers, 32 armed with a 30-mm autocannon, 40 with a 90-mm cannon., 24 command vehicles, 12 ambulances, 17 recovery and repair, and 18 engineer vehicles.) Deliveries begin late next year. These vehicles cost about a million dollars each. This is much cheaper than the U.S. Stryker (which go for about $1.8 million each), and has raised questions if the additional features (sensors and computers) in the Stryker are worth the cost. The troops using Stryker are very much in favor of a vehicle they "boot up" instead of start up. Since the European wheeled armored vehicles are unlikely to see combat, the controversy will continue.
[Ugly squishing sound in background. Sound of retreating tyres. Silence...]
I once saw an MP M151 jeep at the bottom of a German hill used as a roadblock to halt *speeding* vehicles zooming down the glare ice-covered road. The MP accompanying the vehicle, ticket pad at the ready, was also equipped with one of those little German flyswatter *HALT!* stop paddles.
His smuggness came to a screeching halt, however, when a combat-loaded German M48 tank came down the hill at around 85kph, and it did not. The crew hadn't bothered to reverse every third track centerguide, our usual trick when off-road, but then they weren't off-road, and hadn't expected to find an idiot at the bottom of the hill. They were highballing down in neutral, expecting to drop into drive once they hit the level road at the bottom, but the MP froze in place, either bravely holding his position or scared motionless...he finally dove for the roadside drainage ditch [filled with COLD runoff thaw] on the opposite side of the road as his parked jeep. The driver tried to help out by steering away from him, and therefore, toward the jeep, but being in neutral, neutral-steered directly into, through and over the jeep like it wasn't there. Happily, nobody killed; unhappily lots of paperwork.
There are several morals to the story, I suppose- particularly if you're an MP.
Mine's not nearly that pretty yet. And the powerpack is still out. I got distracted and was playing with ancient MOGAS-powered duece-and-a half trucks for a couple of months back there. That swim.
Amphibious deuce and a half?
Yep, AKA the *Duck* per WWII designation DUKW. We stripped the old GMC straight-six MOGAS engine out of one to keep another working [Katrina/Rita effort] and are now examining options for replacement of the old stovebolt six with a Diesel...maybe, MAYBE a href="http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/issues/2004/Jul/Army%20Ponders.htm">the Navistar V-6 diesel considered for Humvee engine replacements in the sandbox.
Could you please tell me more, like in a mail...since ol' Wesley isn't the topic of this thread? BTW, it's been a while since your last mail. Is something wrong?
Sorry, I've been REALLY busy with other projects of late [like automotive and political ones] and I wanted to dig out my old notebooks before answering your questions about old times down south. Neither have I yet heard back from my pals in Nepal and Bhutan, which I suspect means that they're VERY busy at present.
I'll give you a FReepmail with the Weasley Clark scenario, and what we've been tracking.
I was there.
That was my old unit.
Great crew on Derby 11. Sad event. Havent had a Class 1 since. No fatalities on air craft. Every one of those guys left behind a family. It was an old "B". Sad, Sad day. Everyone standing around. People coming into OPS from all over. Most left civilian jobs to come out and be there.
People on the ground died. Moral was low, but we soon started deploying people then aircraft like crazy. Moral went up.
We have never forgotten them.
Colonel Doug Macgregor just returned from the armor conference in Europe. He said that the Stryker has made us a laughing stock and joke among all of the countries there.
I don't believe in the infallibility of Colonels.
BTT
Sorry, about what? You did not leave enough of the message for me to respond.
He also holds a PhD in his field of Foreign Relations. He is much too cerebral for the Pentagon.
If they were infallible they'd be Generals.
Hey, you know why Colonels get oak leaves?
Because mankind has been covering their pr**** with leaves for thousands of years.
L
I knew every one of these guys. Was at the wreck site next day. Training. No accident is so sad if you believe they died doing what they loved and died for a cause...training to fight the good fight.
Continous love to there families.
I knew a guy had an old M-3 half track witht the old 'block o' iron' straoight 6 studabaker engine. rode rough. those guys had it hard in the old days.
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