How many of these do you think will make it to jihads in various places? But hey, what’s a few jihad mass murders? Maybe this will win us a couple of hearts and minds! “Our war legacy to Afghans: £1bn of military vehicles will be given to national army when British troops pull out,” by David Williams and Ian Drury for the Daily Mail, May 11 (thanks to David):
Military chiefs are planning to give armoured vehicles worth an estimated £1billion to Afghan forces when it withdraws from Afghanistan in two years time.
Officials believe that more than half of the UK”s protected vehicles in the country will be left behind with the Afghan National Army and security forces rather than transported back to Britain.
Senior military sources have revealed that an initial review has identified that more than 1,200 protected trucks and personnel carriers are likely to be passed over to the Afghans in 2014.
Just 700 vehicles have been listed for “˜recovery” — return to the UK — and they are mainly the latest and most heavily protected, such as Mastiffs, Ridgebacks and Foxhounds as well as a number of Jackals.
At present the Army has more than 1,900 protected vehicles in southern Afghanistan.
The Foreign Office, which directs operational policy in Afghanistan, has demanded that “˜significant equipment” be passed to the Afghan National Army and Police so they can maintain security when the UK leaves.
The plan to leave 1,200 vehicles to the Afghans is the biggest inventory of equipment the British Army has ever left behind.
Among the most prized vehicles that will be left behind are a number of Wolfhound personnel carriers, some first generation Jackals, a weapons-mounted armoured patrol vehicle and a small number of heavily-protected Warthog all-terrain vehicles.
In addition, 132 Snatch Land Rovers, which underwent a costly upgrade, will be handed over plus 198 Vector armoured personnel carriers. At present the Afghan National Army and Police operate mostly in a fleet of pick-up trucks.
The overall cost of equipment scheduled to be passed to the Afghans is eventually expected to reach £2billion….