Com-Central.net

GLOBE AND MAIL
2007.04.03
GRAEME SMITH

All LAV IIIs to be replaced within the year ROUGH AFGHAN ROADS: War taking unexpectedly harsh toll on Canadian vehicles

GRAEME SMITH KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN All of Canada's LAV III armoured vehicles in Afghanistan will need to be replaced within the next six to eight months, Canada's army chief told troops yesterday, because hard fighting and harsh conditions are taking a greater toll than expected.
"We're going to replace them faster than we'd planned," LGen Andrew Leslie said of the vehicles that are the backbone of Canada's fighting force.

The army's fleet of available LAVs, however, is shrinking because 20 of the $3.5-million Light Armoured Vehicles have been destroyed and they're no longer manufactured.

The remaining ones will have to be refurbished for service.

In an open-air forum with troops in Kandahar last night, the general responsible for all Canadian land forces also described maintenance issues with two other military vehicles that have forced the military to scramble for spare parts and look at replacing old tanks.

Problems have cropped up with the new RG-31 Nyala, the commander said. When Canada bought 75 of them from South Africa last year, the vehicles didn't come with any guarantee that Canada could also buy sufficient spare parts.

"They break a hell of a lot faster than we thought," he said.

But some of the worst problems described by the commander concerned the Leopard tanks sent to Afghanistan late last year. Canada has only 17 tanks on the battlefield, but they serve as a symbol of military power in districts where many people remain unsure about which side has more strength.

LGen. Leslie said he hopes Stephen Harper will replace the old tanks, adding that he expects the Prime Minister's decision within about a week.
The Leopard tanks are 30 years old and are vulnerable to the increasingly powerful suicide bombs faced by Canadian troops, he said.
And with temperatures climbing every day he expressed concern about how the tanks will handle the 55-degree heat.

"They're on their last legs," he said.

....

"We're either going to replace them, or not," LGen. Leslie said. "If we replace them, thank God. If the decision is 'No,' we'll suck it up, we'll come up with some workarounds, and we'll soldier on. Quite frankly, we'll see within the next week or so." ...

LGen. Leslie thanked the ministers for the support of their government, which last year approved the largest increase in military spending in decades. In some cases, he said, more money won't immediately solve the problems: The shortage of spare parts for the Nyala has been caused by high demand among the countries that operate the vehicles, and it's impossible to find enough parts.

"It's not a question of money," he said. "There's a lack of widgets." But when the parts become available, LGen. Leslie said, they will be expensive. Turning to Mr. Toews, from the Treasury Board, he said the government has promised to spend whatever is necessary.

...

Other supplements to the battered fleet of vehicles are already on their way to Afghanistan, he added. In addition to the 45 boxy, tracked M113 armoured vehicles that arrived on the last ship, he said, another 100 M113s will be prepared in the next six to eight months and shipped over. Within the same time frame, the military also plans to buy another 85 heavily armoured trucks, adding to the 300 armoured trucks now in the final stages of the purchasing process.

...

Military planners are facing difficult decisions about how to replace or refurbish aging and battered armoured vehicles such as the 30-year-old Leopard tanks and the Nyala, as well as the LAV III, which is no longer made.

Leopard Pro: It can plow through difficult terrain, withstand heavy fire, and its shells can punch through almost any building in Afghanistan. Con: It's 30 years old, and without air-conditioning the extreme summer heat will make it difficult to operate -- if it works at all.


LAV III Pro: The backbone of Canada's forces in Afghanistan, the vehicles can withstand most attacks. The fact that the air-conditioning systems usually work means it's a favourite with the troops. Con: No more are being built, so every LAV destroyed means fewer vehicles available for training.

RG-31 (Nyala) Pro: It's the toughest vehicle in the Canadian military against mines and improvised explosive devices. Con: It's more vulnerable to conventional attacks than the LAV III, and spare parts are difficult to come by.