(NSI News Source Info) LONDON - May 2, 2009: Britain is to withdraw the recently purchased Vector armored vehicle from operations in Afghanistan after admitting it is too vulnerable as roadside bombs get bigger.
The MoD bought nearly 200 of the protected patrol vehicles for units in Afghanistan and Iraq, rushing the first ones into service in early 2007 to replace Snatch Land Rovers in which several British troops had been killed by roadside bombs. 
The Pinzgauer is used quite widely in the United Kingdom as a fire engine in smaller towns and villages and is increasingly replacing the Land Rover Defender in the military utility vehicle role despite its high cost of upwards of US$100,000 per unit. A new armoured version called the "Vector" entered service in the British Army in early 2007 as part of an effort to provide safer patrol vehicles for troops in Afghanistan. The 6x6 Vector PPV (Protected Patrol Vehicle), will according to the manufacturer, "Build on the existing proven design, with enhancements that will include a combination of physical protection as well as the use of sophisticated electronic countercounter measures to maximise survivability while on patrol". Yugoslavia has been the first generation Pinzgauer customer in huge numbers. Serbian forces added armor and successfully used these field modifications in Balkans conflicts. Many Pinzgauers were sold to military forces (initially Austrian and Swiss) to be used as non-tactical utility vehicles. Typical military roles are as general purpose utility truck, command vehicles, troop carrier and tow vehicle. Roles very similar to other civilian sourced CUCV vehicles like Land-Rover in the UK, the Blazer CUCV in the US, and Geländewagen in many European countries.
Pinzgauer and Trailer of the British Army
The New Zealand army has purchased 321 Pinzgauer vehicles in 8 variants to fulfill the Light Operational Vehicle (LOV) role. The Malaysian Army had purchased this model to replaced older Volvo C303 in their inventories. The Pinzgauer was also marketed to the civilian marketplace worldwide for use as campers, farm trucks, ambulances, fire-trucks, and rescue vehicles. Likewise, many ended up being used as tourist vans due to their large passenger capacity and stable, reliable platform. Pinzgauers have been used as tourist transports in Africa, Australia, South America, Hawaii, and other exotic locales. Some are still in use today. Pinzgauers were also marketed to and used extensively by energy companies for oil exploration purposes. A few Pinzgauers were used for off-road racing, including the famous Paris to Dakar Rally and the International Rainforest Challenge in Malaysia. Similar-purposed vehicles include the German Daimler-Benz Unimog and Geländewagen trucks, the British Land Rover Wolf, and the American HMMWV "Humvee".
An MoD spokesman confirmed the intention to withdraw the vehicle in a May 1 statement.
"Since its introduction to theater, the evolving threat from larger improvised explosive devices on operations has led to a requirement for more medium and heavy capability vehicles to withstand these devices," the spokesman said. "Following the delivery of Mastiff 2, Ridgback and vehicles from the protected mobility package announced [by the MoD] in October 2008, we intend to withdraw Vector from operations in Afghanistan. This will be a phased withdrawal and will not lead to any capability gap."
Sources said many of the six-wheel-drive Vectors are already sitting in vehicle parks, unused by troops who have moved to the more heavily protected Force Protection Cougar vehicle, known in British Army service as the Mastiff.
Vector has attracted increasing criticism in the media for its vulnerability to roadside bombs. The vehicle has also suffered unreliable front hubs and other technical problems. BAE Systems fixed that problem at its own expense.
Defence Secretary John Hutton called the Vector the least successful of the armored vehicles purchased by the MoD under the urgent operational requirements procurement process.
"Mistakes were probably made there," he told the parliamentary Defence Committee here April 28.
BAE, which acquired Vector builder Pinzgauer as part of a wider purchase of Armor Holding in the U.S., still has to deliver about 20 vehicles it is assembling at its Newcastle factory in northeastern England.
The company recently announced it was closing the ex-Pinzgauer site at Guildford and moving the remaining support work on the company's vehicle fleet to Newcastle as part of a rationalization plan in the land sector here.
Three armored vehicle plants are closing with the loss of up to 500 jobs.
BAE said it would "continue to support the Vector vehicles in British Army service."
The Pinzgauer is used quite widely in the United Kingdom as a fire engine in smaller towns and villages and is increasingly replacing the Land Rover Defender in the military utility vehicle role despite its high cost of upwards of US$100,000 per unit. A new armoured version called the "Vector" entered service in the British Army in early 2007 as part of an effort to provide safer patrol vehicles for troops in Afghanistan. The 6x6 Vector PPV (Protected Patrol Vehicle), will according to the manufacturer, "Build on the existing proven design, with enhancements that will include a combination of physical protection as well as the use of sophisticated electronic countercounter measures to maximise survivability while on patrol". Yugoslavia has been the first generation Pinzgauer customer in huge numbers. Serbian forces added armor and successfully used these field modifications in Balkans conflicts. Many Pinzgauers were sold to military forces (initially Austrian and Swiss) to be used as non-tactical utility vehicles. Typical military roles are as general purpose utility truck, command vehicles, troop carrier and tow vehicle. Roles very similar to other civilian sourced CUCV vehicles like Land-Rover in the UK, the Blazer CUCV in the US, and Geländewagen in many European countries.
Pinzgauer and Trailer of the British Army
The New Zealand army has purchased 321 Pinzgauer vehicles in 8 variants to fulfill the Light Operational Vehicle (LOV) role. The Malaysian Army had purchased this model to replaced older Volvo C303 in their inventories. The Pinzgauer was also marketed to the civilian marketplace worldwide for use as campers, farm trucks, ambulances, fire-trucks, and rescue vehicles. Likewise, many ended up being used as tourist vans due to their large passenger capacity and stable, reliable platform. Pinzgauers have been used as tourist transports in Africa, Australia, South America, Hawaii, and other exotic locales. Some are still in use today. Pinzgauers were also marketed to and used extensively by energy companies for oil exploration purposes. A few Pinzgauers were used for off-road racing, including the famous Paris to Dakar Rally and the International Rainforest Challenge in Malaysia. Similar-purposed vehicles include the German Daimler-Benz Unimog and Geländewagen trucks, the British Land Rover Wolf, and the American HMMWV "Humvee".
An MoD spokesman confirmed the intention to withdraw the vehicle in a May 1 statement.
"Since its introduction to theater, the evolving threat from larger improvised explosive devices on operations has led to a requirement for more medium and heavy capability vehicles to withstand these devices," the spokesman said. "Following the delivery of Mastiff 2, Ridgback and vehicles from the protected mobility package announced [by the MoD] in October 2008, we intend to withdraw Vector from operations in Afghanistan. This will be a phased withdrawal and will not lead to any capability gap."
Sources said many of the six-wheel-drive Vectors are already sitting in vehicle parks, unused by troops who have moved to the more heavily protected Force Protection Cougar vehicle, known in British Army service as the Mastiff.
Vector has attracted increasing criticism in the media for its vulnerability to roadside bombs. The vehicle has also suffered unreliable front hubs and other technical problems. BAE Systems fixed that problem at its own expense.
Defence Secretary John Hutton called the Vector the least successful of the armored vehicles purchased by the MoD under the urgent operational requirements procurement process.
"Mistakes were probably made there," he told the parliamentary Defence Committee here April 28.
BAE, which acquired Vector builder Pinzgauer as part of a wider purchase of Armor Holding in the U.S., still has to deliver about 20 vehicles it is assembling at its Newcastle factory in northeastern England.
The company recently announced it was closing the ex-Pinzgauer site at Guildford and moving the remaining support work on the company's vehicle fleet to Newcastle as part of a rationalization plan in the land sector here.
Three armored vehicle plants are closing with the loss of up to 500 jobs.
BAE said it would "continue to support the Vector vehicles in British Army service."
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