I don’t understand how armored Land Rovers are going to help- aren’t the majority of casualties caused by vehicles running over homemade explosive devices? I somehow doubt that the LRs will be able to provide any more protection than a Hummer.
JANE’S DEFENCE WEEKLY – SEPTEMBER 17, 2003
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UK boosts protection for forces in Iraq
DAMIAN KEMP JDW Staff Reporter
London
Additional reporting byThomas Dodd JDW Correspondent
Copenhagen
The UK Ministry of Defence has dispatched armoured Land Rovers from Northern Ireland from reserve and surplus stocks to improve the protection of its forces in Iraq.
This move follows public criticism over an incident in August when British Army personnel serving in Iraq died after the civilian vehicle they were in came under fire.
The death toll in Iraq continued to rise late last week even as more troops left the UK to reinforce forces already in Iraq. Denmark, too, committed to sending more troops in October.
Some 600 members of the UK’s 1st Battalion Royal Green Jackets (1 RGJ) departed for Basra, Iraq’s second city, on 11 September. A similar number from the 2nd Battalion Light Infantry (2 LI) were to depart from Cyprus shortly after.
Two batteries from 16 Regiment Royal Artillery will relieve the 2 LI and 42 Royal Marines Commando will replace 1 RGJ as the operationally ready Spearhead Land Element.
More British troops may follow in the next few weeks as a review of forces in the Persian Gulf is completed.
An additional 90 Danish soldiers are expected to be sent to Iraq next month. Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said the decision was made following terrorist attacks on soft targets like the UN military headquarters in Baghdad.
Since the start of the conflict in late April, 290 US soldiers have died, 49 British and one Danish.
US-led coalition efforts to recruit and train Iraqi security forces received a setback with the apparent accidental killing of 10-plus Iraqi security personnel at a US checkpoint in Fallujah, west of Baghdad, on 12 September.
A US military convoy came under fire from rocket-propelled grenades in the same town on 11 September as did reinforcements, which came to the soldiers’ aid.
UK Secretary of State for Defence Geoff Hoon said: “There is an immediate requirement for two battalions and some additional personnel, vehicles and equipment to allow [the UK Divisional Commander] to fulfil the expanding range of tasks for UK forces in Multinational Division South East.”
He added: “We anticipate additional tasks in the near future which will require military resources – in particular, the provision of military support to [planned] critical infrastructure work… The commitment of the UK and its armed forces in Iraq remains undeterred by recent events.”
By: batbay - 17th September 2003 at 22:47
British Army Tracked vehicles in areas of civilian conflict? Where did they try that Moggy?
By: Mark9 - 17th September 2003 at 21:17
I drive a Pink Panther V8 ?;) 😎 Anna
By: Moggy C - 17th September 2003 at 12:30
That’s courrect Goougle 🙂
Mouggy
By: google - 17th September 2003 at 00:29
Lol, thanks for the tip Mouggy. The u should apply to your name as well, no?:)
By: Moggy C - 17th September 2003 at 00:27
In situations of civil unrest the British Army has discovered over the years that tracked vehicles tend to raise the general level of conflict “Tanks roll into…” whilst wheeled vehicles are seen as more population friendly.
It’s a trade off. The LR’s give less protection than an MBT but the general level of attacks should be lower.
I think you’ll find there’s a ‘u’ in ‘armoured’ when applied to British vehicles 😉 😉
Moggy
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September 17, 2003 at 12:23 am