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Canada to upgrade armoured fleet
40 tracked vehicles being shipped to Afghanistan
David Pugliese, Calgary Herald, 25 Nov 06
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The Canadian Forces will ship more armoured vehicles to
Afghanistan to help ease the wear and tear on the military's combat
fleet in Kandahar.
About 40 tracked M113 armoured personnel carriers will be shipped
early in the New Year, a move that will give commanders another type
of vehicle to use when the wheeled LAV-3, as well as Bison armoured
carriers, are undergoing maintenance, said army spokesman Capt.
Sylvain Chalifour.
In addition, some of the Bisons now in Afghanistan will have to be
returned to Canada for refit work, so the M113s will make up for
that shortfall, he said.
There are already several M113s in Kandahar, Chalifour added.
Afghanistan's terrain is exceptionally hard on vehicles and
equipment of all types, according to military officials.
Army officers privately say the M113s are also needed to roll over
some of the obstacles that have stopped or slowed down the wheeled
LAV-3s. While the LAV-3 is well regarded by the troops, it has had
difficulty driving over some irrigation ditches during fighting in
the Afghan countryside.
Tracked vehicles, such as the M113, will be able to negotiate such
obstacles better. Officers also say the M113 can keep up to the
Leopard tank already in Kandahar.
In September, the military announced it was sending Leopards to
Afghanistan in a bid to boost firepower and protection for its
soldiers.
Earlier this week, one of the Leopards hit a mine during a training
exercise outside Kandahar.
The explosion blew off one of the tank's tracks, but it was
repaired later that day.
No soldiers were injured in the incident.
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