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The British need no protection!


Webwing

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Just to chime in here...

As others have pointed out, the ???? pic is of a Pinzgauer. I've got a bunch of pics of UK and NZ models. Having owned one for many years (an older model), I can attest that the truck is one of the most amazing vehicles known to man. My wife still complains about our decision to sell it a couple of years ago. Hell, I still complain :(

The BV-202 was the first model of the Swedish (Haaglunds) tandem tracked carrier. It had a lot of problems and shortcomings so it morphed into the BV-206. A few hundred were used by the US Army under the designation SUSV (BV-202) and M973 (BV-206). The former only experimentally, the latter in official capacity, generally with the 173rd Brigade in Alaska. It comes in various configurations of hard, soft, and open bodies.

The version pictured on page one here is probably the BvS 18 (at least that is the current model, but M1A1 TC thinks it's an older one. No idea how to tell the difference!) and it is an armored version based on the BV-206. Slat armor is a recent addition.

The first BVs I saw in Iraq were in the first days of combat in Basra. They were used by the Royal Marines. These were unmodified BV-206, not the BvS 18.

Why do I know all this off the top of my head? I came THIS close to purchasing one a few years ago. $20k delivered. Not bad at all. Unfortunately, I decided not to go through with it and then the USD tanked so it's unlikely I'll ever bother to own one. Lots of work anyway.

Steve

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Originally posted by Webwing:

The pinzgauer in the picture was taken from a documentary about the British army in Afghanistan.

The reporter follows the 3 Commando Royal Marines

[snips]

Mr. Picky points out that the Royal Marines are not part of the Army, and that you mean 3 Commando Brigade, not 3 Commando (which like all Army Commandos was disbanded shorty after the end of WW2).

All the best,

John.

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Originally posted by John D Salt:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Webwing:

The pinzgauer in the picture was taken from a documentary about the British army in Afghanistan.

The reporter follows the 3 Commando Royal Marines

[snips]

Mr. Picky points out that the Royal Marines are not part of the Army, and that you mean 3 Commando Brigade, not 3 Commando (which like all Army Commandos was disbanded shorty after the end of WW2).

All the best,

John. </font>

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Well just confirms that you should never believe what you read / hear / see in the media doesn't it.

Journos are terrible at arbitrarily truncating unit names etc. just to fit the soundbite or number of words.

A quick look here:

3 Commando Brigade Web Site

Indicates that 3 Commando Brigade comprises:

40 Commando

42 Commando and

45 Commando

Of which only 40 Commando is currently deployed (the others being at various other points in the usual "Raise, Train, Sustain" cycle used in operations - namely one unit just back from deployment, one doing the deployment and one working up for the next deployment).

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That was strange. Anyways, thats an older version of the vehicle. I used to be a driver for the newer one, the BV206.
I used to drive one of those BV 206 too! I19 Boden 90-91, Älvsbyns kompani. Real fun driving through 1 meter of snow with the rest of the platoon hanging on for dear life on their skis behind the vehicle. :D
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Originally posted by gibsonm:

Well just confirms that you should never believe what you read / hear / see in the media doesn't it.

Journos are terrible at arbitrarily truncating unit names etc. just to fit the soundbite or number of words.

A quick look here:

3 Commando Brigade Web Site

Indicates that 3 Commando Brigade comprises:

40 Commando

42 Commando and

45 Commando

Of which only 40 Commando is currently deployed (the others being at various other points in the usual "Raise, Train, Sustain" cycle used in operations - namely one unit just back from deployment, one doing the deployment and one working up for the next deployment).

Thanks Mark.

In the site they use:

"3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines"

So I guess just saying:

"3 Commando Royal Marines" would be arbitrarily truncating a unit name.

If you don't use the word Brigade you must be talking about a battalion within the brigade.

So they use the word Commando for the brigade and the battalions.

Is it to differentiate them from the Army formations?

And here is a snippet from the documentary.

Link -> Uk in Afghanistan <- Link

-

[ January 21, 2008, 03:54 PM: Message edited by: Webwing ]

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Originally posted by LordCalvert:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />That was strange. Anyways, thats an older version of the vehicle. I used to be a driver for the newer one, the BV206.

I used to drive one of those BV 206 too! I19 Boden 90-91, Älvsbyns kompani. Real fun driving through 1 meter of snow with the rest of the platoon hanging on for dear life on their skis behind the vehicle. :D </font>
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That was strange. Anyways, thats an older version of the vehicle. I used to be a driver for the newer one, the BV206.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I used to drive one of those BV 206 too! I19 Boden 90-91, Älvsbyns kompani. Real fun driving through 1 meter of snow with the rest of the platoon hanging on for dear life on their skis behind the vehicle.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A company I worked for in northern British Columbia had a ex US Army BV206 ambulance still in camo. Used it to ferry crews around the muskeg, the thing was near unstoppable but it had a few miles on it and wasn't the most reliable beast, I liked running it till I broke down 3km from camp in -30 weather!

Yeah, I can imagine, a tad bit chilly brrrr :D

We had to put one of the tracks back on in the middle of nowhere during winter...

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:eek:

i saw quiet some pinzgauers here at home so far, i got driven around in pinzgauers quiet often but i never saw a Pinzgauer with tracks!!!

here you have this "cheap" chains you mount around the tires, snowchains!? :D dont know what they are called in english.

thats quiet new for me, is it possible to drive on hard surfaces too with this, like a street or unpaved country road without snow!? or is it possible but you will ruin your rubber tracks!?

thats a pretty funny looking modification.

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Pandur,

Usually they are called "tire chains" and the Pinzgauer comes standard with 4 to fit their original tires (Myloa, or something like that. Italian brand). Chains are great for conditions when there is either a small amount of slippery snow or thick ice. They can be dangerous in other conditions. They are also loud and (to some) uncomfortable to drive with.

Around where I live the motto is... if you don't know how to drive with chains on, you're better off not :D

Steve

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acually a Pinzgauer is something like a little dream of mine, id like to have one once in my livetime smile.gif

good thing is they are available here, and spare parts arent a problem too, but i dont have the money to spent to just have a pinzgauer :D

iam often watching the original 1970´s pinzgauer factory film in aticipation :D

youtube is a great thing, acualy.

there is also a part 2 and 3 if one wants, named the same just part2 and 3 repectively.

enjoy if you like this stuff ;)

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