Hope Smithy has noted the rather disasterous showing of the humvee, LAV [Piranha 111] and British armoured landrovers in Iraq. The US grunts have now nicknamed it the hopeless hummer and renamed the M1A3 MBT the petrol can. Despite the humvees' problems being widely publicised in Somalia everyone is still using it as a mini apc!!!!
I know we are a banana republic but that is no reason to send out the boys in borrowed British army landrovers in Liberia. If the same speed and efficiency that was demonstrated in acquiring the Learjet for VIP TRANSPORT was applied to equipment acquisition for all three services then we really would be able to interoperate with other forces on peace enforcement missions.
Please explain why the Celtic Tiger hasn't produced the 80 armoured vehicles [small] promised during the restructuring? Please let them be Mowag Eagle 4,or krauss Maffei Dingo or Auverland 4.
Urgent recommendations : sufficient Mowag Piranha 3/4 [uparmoured with 25 ATK turret] to equip 3 battalions. These should be supplied with rear video camera as every other western army has been. This order should include Piranha 4 10 * 10 raised roof command vehicles and the 2m Euro Piranha ARV crane and winch and not the fitters vehicles that Smithy euphemistically calls ARV!!!!!
The army urgently needs new armoured recce vehicles for the cavalry. 40 Alvis Rooikat 105mm or Iveco-Oto Melara Centauro 120mm armoured with the new ceramic additional "plate" from Germany. NB same armour package is being supplied to Stryker apc [Piranha 4 ] for US infantry and Canadian army.
60 armoured Pinzgauer 6x6 all terrain vehicles to pull 105mm artillery.They can carry 6 crew and shells and charges instead of those dilapitated 20 year + Acmats.
Finally will someone for Godsake employ a qualified transport manager. How many different types of vehicle do 8000 troops need? Sell everything + spares and implement a five year procurement plan with Just-In-Time spares based around 4 vehicle types.Specialist vehicles such as dedicated heavy recovery vehicles, fuel bowsers, NBC detection vehicles would be in addition to this. It is frightening to think that we have "equipped" the army with 2 heavy recovery vehicles and they are both from different suppliers!!!! Lets hope the boys don't need one in Liberia, Eritrea and Liberia and Donnellys Hollow at the same time!!!!!
Finally, could we have the correct helmets to fit individual comms, about 6000 should do and about 1500 FN Minimi for the new 4 man fire team [like every other army in the Western world. Thankyou.
If the politicians, people and the media don't realise the importance and legal requirements for an army, then transfer everyone to the Garda and merge the"navy" and "air corps" into a coastguard. Oh sorry what's that you say? They are planning to do this anyway! Oh well, we might as well go to the pub then!!
I know we are a banana republic but that is no reason to send out the boys in borrowed British army landrovers in Liberia. If the same speed and efficiency that was demonstrated in acquiring the Learjet for VIP TRANSPORT was applied to equipment acquisition for all three services then we really would be able to interoperate with other forces on peace enforcement missions.
Please explain why the Celtic Tiger hasn't produced the 80 armoured vehicles [small] promised during the restructuring? Please let them be Mowag Eagle 4,or krauss Maffei Dingo or Auverland 4.
Urgent recommendations : sufficient Mowag Piranha 3/4 [uparmoured with 25 ATK turret] to equip 3 battalions. These should be supplied with rear video camera as every other western army has been. This order should include Piranha 4 10 * 10 raised roof command vehicles and the 2m Euro Piranha ARV crane and winch and not the fitters vehicles that Smithy euphemistically calls ARV!!!!!
The army urgently needs new armoured recce vehicles for the cavalry. 40 Alvis Rooikat 105mm or Iveco-Oto Melara Centauro 120mm armoured with the new ceramic additional "plate" from Germany. NB same armour package is being supplied to Stryker apc [Piranha 4 ] for US infantry and Canadian army.
60 armoured Pinzgauer 6x6 all terrain vehicles to pull 105mm artillery.They can carry 6 crew and shells and charges instead of those dilapitated 20 year + Acmats.
Finally will someone for Godsake employ a qualified transport manager. How many different types of vehicle do 8000 troops need? Sell everything + spares and implement a five year procurement plan with Just-In-Time spares based around 4 vehicle types.Specialist vehicles such as dedicated heavy recovery vehicles, fuel bowsers, NBC detection vehicles would be in addition to this. It is frightening to think that we have "equipped" the army with 2 heavy recovery vehicles and they are both from different suppliers!!!! Lets hope the boys don't need one in Liberia, Eritrea and Liberia and Donnellys Hollow at the same time!!!!!
Finally, could we have the correct helmets to fit individual comms, about 6000 should do and about 1500 FN Minimi for the new 4 man fire team [like every other army in the Western world. Thankyou.
If the politicians, people and the media don't realise the importance and legal requirements for an army, then transfer everyone to the Garda and merge the"navy" and "air corps" into a coastguard. Oh sorry what's that you say? They are planning to do this anyway! Oh well, we might as well go to the pub then!!
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