rocket-dog

The Saxon has beem withdrawn from service with the British army's mechanised infantry battalions. Not a popular vehicle and very much in that fine Brit military procurement tradition of cheapest is best. It was deployed with units to the Ulster, the Balkans, and Iraq, proving to be quite successful in the former two regions for peace keeping duties. Several British MoD disposal agents are offering what appear to be quite straight Saxons for a healthy £25,000 each!

My question(s) is this: Though a Saxon doesn’t offer the same levels of protection as a modern MRAP, it is a much safer vehicle than a Land Rover or a soft skinned lorry (for small cargoes.) Seeing as Saxons have been slated for withdrawal wouldn’t it have been prudent for the British MoD to send these vehicles to Iraq and Afghanistan to improve levels of protection for troops? Does anybody know if this was considered, even as a stop-gap measure, and dare I say as a financially prudent measure (considering the cost of MRAP’s)? (The British mech units could have continuing training using 4-tonners.) Does anybody here have any experience of Saxons in service?

Update: Further research has revealed that the primary reason for withdrawl was that they were top heavy and so were suitable for up-armouring. I would suggest that in the hard urban environment this wouldn't have been a problem. With a healthy ground clearance ballasting the vehicle would have been an option. Also I should like to make it clear that in no way do I see Saxon as a substitute for a more capable vehicle.......