Article

2006-08-17 Afghanistan

Afghanistan: NATO Countries Find Troops Need More Armor Protection

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Oztralian 2006-08-17 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 But many advantages are neutralized in an urban guerrilla war.

Depends on how they're used, doesn't it?

Drive them up and down the street to impress people, and they just guzzle fuel and clank treads.

Use them to destroy buildings infested with killers, so your troops don't have to enter the building, and they still dominate the urban battlefield. See Falluja II.

Posted by Bobby 2006-08-17 06:25|| 2006-08-17 06:25|| Front Page Top

#2 What a terrible article. The ISAF troops are discovering second generations jeeps get the shit blown out of them in mine or IED attack. So they're getting light armor. Which has next to nothing to do with Abrams tanks in Baghdad.

Posted by Rory B. Bellows 2006-08-17 07:21|| 2006-08-17 07:21|| Front Page Top

#3 No! They need a minefield on the Paki border.

Posted by Snease Shaiting3550 2006-08-17 08:39|| 2006-08-17 08:39|| Front Page Top

#4 IIRC there was a big article on a émigré or second generation Indian serving as a armor officer who received much press in India for this successful fight with tanks in crowded urban combat.

Bottom line is that because armor has been successfully used in a combined arms manner in Iraq, that the use of armor in urban terrain doctrine is now being rewritten. So the author of this article is way off base on his opinion.

Posted by Glurt Flavitch2274 2006-08-17 09:56|| 2006-08-17 09:56|| Front Page Top

#5 GF2274, are you referring to Neil Prakash?

After leading his platoon through a fierce onslaught, enemy fire pounding them from every direction, 1st Lt. Neil Prakash went back in for more.

First Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. John R.S. Batiste joined Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment at FOB Scunion Jan. 14 to award this 24-year-old tank platoon leader one of the militarys highest honors - the Silver Star Medal.

An incredible officer, his accomplishments on 24 June are clearly heroic, said Batiste. He sets a very high standard for every one of us. I guarantee veterans of the past are standing very tall right now.

Although born in India and maintaining strong ties to the Indian community, Prakash was raised in Syracuse, New York, in what he called a very patriotic American household.

An ROTC cadet at Johns Hopkins University, he planned to follow in the footsteps of his mother, father and older brother - all doctors - and attend medical school. But after attending an ROTC Branch Orientation during his senior year, he knew what he was meant to do...

As the article says, the Silver Star is one of the US Military's highest combat awards. The Indian-American community was quite proud of him, as were we all.

Posted by lotp 2006-08-17 10:50|| 2006-08-17 10:50|| Front Page Top

#6 There was an Indian-descended armor officer who was at Fallujah and wrote a weblog about his expeiences called Armorgeddon.

Was that him?

Posted by Abdominal Snowman 2006-08-17 18:26|| 2006-08-17 18:26|| Front Page Top

#7 Yes.

Posted by lotp 2006-08-17 18:59|| 2006-08-17 18:59|| Front Page Top

13:44 wxjames
23:59 RWV
23:52 Random Thoughts
23:50 RWV
23:16 Seafarious
23:13 Captain America
23:11 Manolo
23:00 twobyfour
22:58 DathVader
22:56 Barbara Skolaut
22:51 Barbara Skolaut
22:44 tu3031
22:36 Flaigum Whelet4630
22:29 tu3031
22:26 Oldspook
22:19 Oldspook
22:15 tu3031
22:10 tu3031
22:06 john
22:04 john
22:02 john
22:01 tu3031
21:55 Galloways Outcropping
21:55 3dc