Brits park their tanks for mine resistent vehicles

Sunday Times:

The British Army has been ordered to park up its Challenger 2 tanks for the next three years to release crews to drive the new mine-resistant vehicles in Afghanistan.

The move is part of an order from General Sir David Richards, who takes over as head of the army next month, to focus efforts on fighting the Taliban.

The crews will continue to be trained and their Challenger 2 tanks will be serviced. However, the drivers and mechanics will be sent to Afghanistan to operate mine-resistant armoured vehicles including the Viking and Warthog.

Last week, Trooper Joshua Hammond, 18, of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, was killed in a Viking vehicle by a Taliban roadside bomb. Hammond, who died alongside Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, 39, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, would normally have driven a Challenger 2 tank.

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The Viking is a strange articulated vehicle that appears to be too low to the ground and does not have the bottom shape needed to deflect the blast from IEDs. The Brits have been accused of short changing their troops in Afghansitan and this vehicle does not appear to be appropriate for the tasks there.

The Daily Mail on Sunday reports that the Taliban are forcing Afghans to use their cell phones to report the progress of troops movements. It appears they need to be more active at intercepting enemy communications.