I'm not saying LAV's or Strykers are bad.
I'm just saying that M113A3's with slat armor, already standard night vision systems and armored gun shields were perfectly capable of adequately filling the void in armored patrol and escort vehicles that existed early in the insurgency.
The US Military got flat out caught unprepared (or was forced to be so, if you believe the books Cobra II and Fiasco). There is no denying it, and there is no denying that M113A3s with just basic modifications would have been about a thousand times safer than driving around in unarmored Humvees.
Aren't M113's are in active service in Afghanistan right now?
That sure looks like a couple M113's, and that sure looks like Afghanistan.
Sure looks like the M113s are escorting a convoy in this pic:
Here's another one, looks like Iraq:
Note the use of enhanced armor, field expedient armor, gunshields, and a simple Ma Duece mounted passive night vision system for the TC.
That picture right there depicts a perfectly adequate escort, patrol or fire support vehicle.
Are there better choices? Yes. Are there worse choices? You bet your tail there are. And unarmored Humvees full of DATs and Gunbunnies packing AK47s because we ran out of Infantry units and M16s in a hot zone is one of them.
I'm just saying that M113A3's with slat armor, already standard night vision systems and armored gun shields were perfectly capable of adequately filling the void in armored patrol and escort vehicles that existed early in the insurgency.
The US Military got flat out caught unprepared (or was forced to be so, if you believe the books Cobra II and Fiasco). There is no denying it, and there is no denying that M113A3s with just basic modifications would have been about a thousand times safer than driving around in unarmored Humvees.
Aren't M113's are in active service in Afghanistan right now?
That sure looks like a couple M113's, and that sure looks like Afghanistan.
Sure looks like the M113s are escorting a convoy in this pic:
Here's another one, looks like Iraq:
Note the use of enhanced armor, field expedient armor, gunshields, and a simple Ma Duece mounted passive night vision system for the TC.
That picture right there depicts a perfectly adequate escort, patrol or fire support vehicle.
Are there better choices? Yes. Are there worse choices? You bet your tail there are. And unarmored Humvees full of DATs and Gunbunnies packing AK47s because we ran out of Infantry units and M16s in a hot zone is one of them.
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