From: "A Morgan" Newsgroups: rec.aviation.military References: Subject: Re: RNZAF loses the Strike role. Lines: 36 X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4522.1200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.50.4522.1200 X-Original-NNTP-Posting-Host: ae01155.powerup.com.au Message-ID: <3b2973eb@grissom> NNTP-Posting-Host: grissom.powerup.com.au X-Trace: ozemail.com.au 992572396 203.32.8.130 (Fri, 15 Jun 2001 12:33:16 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 12:33:16 EST Organization: OzEmail Ltd, Australia Distribution: world Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 12:30:56 +1000 "Alan Rothwell" wrote in message news:sb1e4dff.030@smtpgate.chhlth.govt.nz... [snip] >Now I admit some hesitation about the BTR-80 >but they present an array of "opinions" indicating >that it would do a good job and that the LAV-111 >is overkill or not appropriate to our needs or the >conditions in East Timor (too heavy for many of the >unstable roads). This is indeed true, in fact the best performing vehicles in the a number of conditions in East Timor were most probably the M113, due to its tracked nature. As such the Australian Army has decided to buy a number of different vehicles to replace the 900 odd M113s that its relied upon during and since the Vietnam War. The Australian Army has decided to substancially upgrade some 350 M113s (new turret, more powerful weapon, heavier armour, fragementation protection for inhabitants, larger engine, new tracks, night vision and so on), it additon to the acquisition of at least 260 LAV-25 (the smaller, slightly older version of the LAV III, which can fit in a Hercules), + 20 LAV 25 120 mm turreted motar systems, and some 350 Bushmaster IMVs (an Australian designed a manufactured vehicle which might be sort of likened in role to the Humvee - maybe - I sure someone will take me to task on that analogy!). [snip] >Alan Rothwell Cheers. A.Morgan.