DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY July 7, 2010 - British Troops To Leave Deadly Sangin

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY July 7, 2010 - British Troops To Leave Deadly Sangin Source: DTN News - compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including Sky News

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - July 7, 2010: British troops are to be pulled out of the Sangin area of Afghanistan - where nearly a third of UK deaths have occurred.

It is understood the Government has decided the notoriously volatile district in northern Helmand province will be handed over to US forces, possibly later this year. The move - set to be announced later by Defence Secretary Liam Fox - comes after Britain handed over command in Helmand to an American general last month. Mr Fox is expected to say that Britain will concentrate on Helmand's populous central belt, leaving the north and south of the province to the US. Sangin, currently home to 40 Commando Royal Marines, is particularly dangerous because it contains a patchwork of rival tribes. It is also a major centre of Afghanistan's opium-growing industry. It has been the scene of some of the fiercest fighting the British military has endured since the Second World War. Of the 312 UK deaths in Afghanistan since 2001, 99 occurred in Sangin. Sky News foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall said: "It is not like they will be leaving because the Taliban have won. "They are being replaced by the Americans. I think in the Autumn. I think this is a political and a military decision and I do not think you can realistically call it a retreat." There is likely to be a mixed response to news of the handover - relief that such a deadly burden has been passed on but also sadness at the high price paid in troops killed and injured. Britain's 8,000 forces in Helmand are now greatly outnumbered by the 20,000 US Marines sent there under President Obama's surge strategy. Sangin is the latest part of the district to be handed over from British to American control. The town of Musa Qaleh was transferred in March and US marines took charge of the strategically important Kajaki dam last month.

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DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY December 3, 2009 ~ 3 European Nations Pledge More Afghanistan Troops

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY December 3, 2009 ~ 3 European Nations Pledge More Afghanistan Troops

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, UK - December 3, 2009: Britain, Italy and Macedonia said Monday they were ready to send extra soldiers into Afghanistan, as U.S. President Barack Obama was expected to announce a massive surge of U.S. troops for the country. British soldiers with the NATO led- International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are seen talking with an Afghan child while patrolling in Sangin district of Helmand province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said he expects the allies to boost the NATO-led force by more than 5,000 soldiers. He said the best way to overcome widespread public opposition to the war in Europe is by demonstrating progress on the battlefield. Obama is expected to unveil on Tuesday plans to send between 30,000 and 35,000 reinforcements to a NATO-led force battling Islamic extremists in Afghanistan as part of a strategy intended to, in his words, "finish the job." On the eve of his speech, the three European nations said they were also prepared to boost their military commitment to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) drawn from nearly 40 countries. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said London would boost its regular troops in Afghanistan by 500, bringing its total deployment there over the 10,000 mark. "I believe over the coming months, even more countries will respond," Brown told lawmakers in the House of Commons. "As long as the Afghanistan-Pakistan border areas are the location of choice for al-Qaida and the epicenter of global terrorism, it's the government's judgment that we should address the threat at its source," he said. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Rome was ready to send more troops but he did not specify how many. Italy has 3,250 soldiers in ISAF, the sixth largest contingent in the international alliance. "Afghanistan is a test for the Atlantic alliance's credibility," Frattini said in comments reported by the ANSA news agency. "It is clear that Italy must finish the job started with NATO and make a greater contribution if it is needed," he said. Macedonia - not a NATO member - meanwhile confirmed it would send an extra 80 soldiers from February, adding to its 160 troops already there. Calls for more troops to fight militants in Afghanistan have mounted amid concerns about the progress of a massive U.S.- and European-led effort to stabilize the country after the Islamist Taliban regime was toppled in 2001. Obama's expected pledge of more soldiers, which emerged from an exhaustive policy review, aims to bolster the drive to repel a resurgent Taliban, secure major cities and fast-track training for Afghan security forces. France's Le Monde daily reported on its Web site Monday that the United States had also asked France to put up another 1,500 troops for the allied mission. The French foreign ministry refused to confirm or deny the report which said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made the request on Thursday in a telephone call to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. However, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said he had told Obama in a telephone call Monday that France's priority was the development of the Afghan forces so they can assume a larger role in securing their country. A London conference on Afghanistan in January would provide an opportunity to assess with the Afghan authorities what was needed, he was cited as saying. Sarkozy also confirmed "that France remains fully committed to Afghanistan on the side of the Afghan people and its allies for as long as is necessary for the Afghans to progressively assume their responsibilities," it said. France already has 3,750 soldiers attached to the campaign, 3,400 of them in Afghanistan itself, but Sarkozy's government has insisted that it has no plans to increase the number. Britain is due to host an international conference on Afghanistan on Jan. 28 at which Afghan President Hamid Karzai is likely to be set tough new benchmarks on fighting extremism in his country.

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY October 15, 2009 ~ Britain Ready To Send 500 More Troops To Afghanistan

DTN News: Afghanistan TODAY October 15, 2009 ~ Britain Ready To Send 500 More Troops To Afghanistan

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, UK - October 15, 2009: Britain is ready to raise troop numbers in Afghanistan by 500 to 9,500, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday, providing certain conditions are met. In this image made available by the Ministry of Defence in London, Monday June 8, 2009, British soldiers of the The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland, deploy from a Chinook helicopter in the desert of Afghanistan's Upper Sangin Valley, Sunday May 31, 2009, at the start of a joint operation with the Afghan National Army, to search compounds and destroy drug caches and narcotic manufacturing facilities. The operation destroyed ten narcotic manufacturing facilities, and as well as the opium, it netted 220 kg of morphine, more than 100 kg of heroin and 148 kg of cannabis. Worsening violence in the eight-year, U.S.-led war against the Taliban has led to calls for a change of strategy including the option of sending more troops to bolster security. More than 100,000 Western troops are serving in Afghanistan, of whom 65,000 are American. The number of U.S. troops is already due to increase to 68,000 later this year. U.S. President Barack Obama is considering a military recommendation to boost his force with a further 40,000 troops next year. Brown said Britain would send the additional troops as long as three conditions were met, including Kabul agreeing to provide Afghan troops to be trained and fight alongside British forces. "I've agreed in principle to a new British force level of 9,500 which will be put into effect once these conditions are met," Brown told parliament. A government source said the deployment was not imminent but there was a will to send the extra forces as soon as possible. The increase in British numbers also had to be part of an agreed approach with other military forces in Afghanistan, Brown said, with all countries bearing their fair share. And he said the correct military equipment had to be available for every soldier and unit deployed in the country. Brown said he had received assurances from Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his election opponent Abdullah Abdullah that Afghan troops would be made available. British forces have been engaged in heavy combat this year against Taliban insurgents in the southern province of Helmand. More than 50 British soldiers have been killed in the past four months and Brown spent several minutes reading out to parliament the names of the 37 killed over the summer. The fierce fighting has led to questioning of Britain's role and criticism of the equipment British forces are supplied with, creating a political headache for Brown before a national election expected next May. TACKLING CORRUPTION Brown said British forces, the second largest contributor to the NATO mission, were in Afghanistan to prevent terror attacks on British streets. But he said there also had to be tough action on tackling corruption in Afghanistan. "No one can be satisfied with what happened during the elections in Afghanistan," he said. "Every one of us has questions that has got to be answered...about the amount of ballot-rigging that appears to have taken place." A United Nations-backed election watchdog is still checking suspicious ballots to determine if Karzai is the outright winner of the August presidential election or must face a second vote against the runner-up. Defense analyst Charles Heyman, editor of The Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, said the British troop increase was merely a "drop in the ocean" and would have a limited effect. "We need at least 2,000 if we are to hold the ring in Helmand and probably a lot more than that," he told Reuters.

Afghanistan Related Headline News....for full stories click on the links below

~ Video:Troops get non-combat role in Afghanistan after 2011 CBC.ca

~ Video:Afghanistan Reinforcement FOX News

~ Britain pledges extra troops as US mulls Afghan options AFP

~ Brown to send 500 more troops to Afghanistan‎ - Financial Times

DTN News: UK Faces More Threat From Pakistan Than Helmand

DTN News: UK Faces More Threat From Pakistan Than Helmand

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, U.K. - August 3, 2009: A House of Commons report published on Sunday concluded that the UK faced more threat from inside Pakistan than from Afghanistan’s Helmand province where, the report asserted, British soldiers were sent on ‘an ill-defined mission undermined by unrealistic planning and lack of manpower’. A view of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and beside it the Big Ben. - File photo The Labour-chaired Commons foreign affairs select committee report raises the alarming spectre of Al Qaeda, ‘which has shifted its focus into Pakistan’. Professor Shaun Gregory, an expert on Pakistan at Bradford University, told the committee that a direct attack on Pakistan’s nuclear weapons infrastructure could not be ruled out. According to the Observer, MPs concluded that there was now a ‘strong argument to be made’ that the Afghan insurgency was no longer an immediate threat to Britain, adding: ‘That threat in the form of Al Qaeda and international terrorism can be said more properly to emanate from Pakistan’. The report concluded that, while the military campaign in Helmand might be gaining traction, Afghan support for the troops had been damaged by civilian casualties and ‘cultural insensitivity’, and there was no evidence the war on drugs had reduced poppy cultivation. A weak, corrupt police force was driving Afghans back to the Taliban to seek justice, it argued, while cultural assumptions about women were barely changed. The Observer said Whitehall was braced for the publication this month of a review of the Afghanistan campaign by General Stanley McChrystal, commander of US forces there, which was expected to trigger a fresh debate over troop numbers. Some MPs believed parliament might even be recalled from recess to debate Afghanistan. The Foreign Office admitted on Saturday night that the insurgent threat in Helmand was ‘greater than anticipated’, but said the aim of denying Al Qaeda a safe haven remained unchanged. The committee suggested that Whitehall was distracted by Iraq during its planning, made wrong assumptions about Afghan expectations and gave unclear direction to the armed forces. It noted that ‘most analysts believe the initial UK strategy failed primarily because of a lack of manpower and a poor understanding of the local situation’. Meanwhile, a memo from Major Brian Dupree leaked to the newspaper showed that Britain’s war effort in Afghanistan was being hindered by a number of frontline troops ‘too fat to fight’. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that it had directed military chiefs to ensure units were following army fitness policy after concerns were raised over a ‘worrying trend of obesity’.

DTN News: Afghanistan ~ Violence Erupting All Over Prior Presidential Vote

DTN News: Afghanistan ~ Violence Erupting All Over Prior Presidential Vote

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - July 27, 2009: Spiralling Taliban attacks and record Western military deaths have put Afghanistan on edge less than four weeks before key elections that many fear could be overshadowed by violence. An Afghan farmer watches as US marines head to the site of a blast in Garmsir district of Helmand Province. The August 20 presidential vote, only the second in Afghan history, is seen as a crucial test in the nearly eight-year effort led by the United States and NATO to stabilise Afghanistan since the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban. Thousands of newly deployed foreign troops have flooded into southern Afghanistan to try to wrest back Taliban strongholds, but the resulting surge in soldiers' deaths has created a backlash in Western nations. Violence has spread in the east and north, while coordinated suicide attacks in three Afghan cities killed six people last week, underscoring the vulnerability of the government as the clock ticks to nationwide polls. "There are major security issues again in southern Afghanistan, in eastern Afghanistan," said Haroun Mir, analyst from the Afghanistan Centre for Research and Policy Studies in Kabul. "Suicide bombs which happened in Paktia and in Jalalabad, these are indications that indeed there are some elements either from Al-Qaeda or the Taliban that want to disrupt the elections." The independent http://www.icasualties.org/, which calculates military losses in Iraq and Afghanistan, records 67 troop deaths so far in July, the highest monthly toll since the US-led invasion followed the September 11, 2001 attacks. Britain, whose apparent equipment and helicopter shortages have sparked fierce debate at home, has encountered some of the deadliest combat, while US military fatalities are also at record levels this month. There are currently about 90,000 foreign troops -- mainly US, British and Canadian -- deployed in Afghanistan on a mission to stabilise the country, and more are flooding in to try and secure restive areas ahead of the polls. About 4,000 US Marines and 3,000 British troops, backed by hundreds of Afghan forces, have battled behind Taliban lines in the south for weeks. But even in districts recently secured by foreign forces, officials worry there is little time to prepare for voting in the presidential and provincial elections held together on August 20. "For a long time this area was under the control of the Taliban," Afghanistan's counter-narcotics minister General Khodaidad told AFP on a trip to southern Helmand province's Garmsir district. "We have very little time. We should have started this operation one year ago... I think it will be difficult to have people take part at the polling stations, especially in volatile parts of the country." While the Taliban and other insurgent groups have made no specific threat against the polls, attacks are intensifying. On Saturday, seven suicide bombers tried to blow themselves up at state and security targets in the eastern city of Khost. Although most were shot dead by security forces, one civilian was killed and the attacks will likely further unnerve Afghans already concerned about their security on polling day. Similar commando suicide raids struck the eastern cities of Gardez and Jalalabad on Tuesday, also claimed by the Taliban, and Afghan officials warn that militant violence is seeping into the previously peaceful north. Rear Admiral Greg Smith, spokesman for the commander of foreign troops here General Stanley McChrystal, told AFP the rising military deaths were linked to increased troop activity, but said rebels could take advantage of the polls. "We said all along we expect insurgents will use this election period as a means to communicate their intent -- they don't want this government to succeed, they don't want people to have the right to vote," he said. He said Afghan forces were "doing everything they can" to ensure security on polling day, but analyst Mir was not so confident. "There will be 7,000 voting centres in Afghanistan and I think neither the Afghan government and coalition forces have enough personnel to provide security for each of these voting stations," he told AFP. The consequences, he said, will be that people stay away from the polls, or the legitimacy of the ballot will be called into question with election monitors also scarce.

DTN News: Prime Minister Gordon Brown Says Extra Troops Will Need To Stay In Afghanistan

DTN News: Prime Minister Gordon Brown Says Extra Troops Will Need To Stay In Afghanistan

*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, U.K. - July 17, 2009: Afghanistan needs to do far more to make its troops available on the ground if a U.S.-British offensive to secure territory ahead of elections is to succeed, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Thursday.

In this Wednesday July 15, 2009 photo British soldiers with the International Security Assistance Force pose for a photo with Afghan officials in the Sangin district of Helmand province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan. Britain's army chief said Wednesday that more troops are needed in Afghanistan's volatile southern province of Helmand as soldiers pursue a bloody campaign to uproot Taliban fighters ahead of elections next month.

Answering questions before a parliamentary committee, Brown repeatedly made the point that he did not think Afghanistan was pulling its weight and said he had spoken to President Hamid Karzai to try to address the situation. Karzai told Brown this week he would increase the number, but did not say when or by how many.

"I'm very clear that the Afghan army has got to do more," Brown said, arguing that any strategy to clear and hold large swathes of territory in the south ahead of a presidential election in August would hinge on Afghan forces.

"I'm very clear that where we are in Helmand, we need the complement of more Afghan troops and police. And I'm also clear that we have a role to play, and it will be a continuing role after the election, for some of our troops to mentor and train the Afghan security forces."

He said Britain, which has about 9,000 troops in Helmand, having boosted the number for a pre-election offensive, would review its numbers after the poll, and possibly in October, if the vote goes to a second round.But more immediately, he said there was not enough support from Afghanistan's side to back up the efforts being made by Britain and the United States. If Afghan communities were to be kept safe, it meant Afghanistan stepping up to the plate.

It is a point U.S. military commanders have also made in recent weeks, but which Brown has taken up on a political level at a time when he is under pressure at home to justify why Britain is still fighting in Afghanistan after eight years.

"We have been asking the Afghan national army through President Karzai to make available more Afghan troops on the ground," he said.

"It would be by far the best way of moving forward if once ground is taken by our troops, then local Afghan troops and police are there on the ground ... There are troops available and I believe they should be in Helmand for this campaign."

The prime minister was also dismissive of the size of the Afghan forces, saying they would have to be substantially expanded if they were ever going to be capable of keeping control in a country the size of Afghanistan.

"Our ability to defeat a terrorist threat depends not only on what we can contribute militarily, but on what we can achieve by civilian as well as military effort in training the Afghan army," he said.

"Which will have to be higher than 130,000 (soldiers), by the way. I mean, it's 80,000 at the moment, and the plan is 130,000, but I think everybody is in no doubt that for a territory that is as big as Afghanistan, we will have to train any army to a higher number than that."

DTN News: New Helmets And Armour For British Troops In Afghanistan

DTN News: New Helmets And Armour For British Troops In Afghanistan

*Source: DTN News / MoD U.K.

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, U.K. - July 5, 2009: New and improved helmets and body armour which will provide better personal protection and comfort will be making their way to British troops in Afghanistan this autumn. A Royal Marines Commando shows off the enhanced Mark 7 helmet and Osprey Assault body armour at DVD 2009 [Picture: Andrew Linnett, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009] The enhanced Mark 7 helmet and Osprey Assault body armour, which will provide excellent ballistic protection and an improved fit for personnel to ensure free movement, were unveiled at the Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) equipment show this week.The MOD has ordered over 10,000 sets of the new helmets and armour under initial contracts worth £16m, with companies including NP Aerospace, Morgan Armour Ltd, Aegis Engineering Ltd, Seyntex and Solo International Ltd. Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Quentin Davies, said: "The Osprey body armour that we issue to all troops on operations provides excellent personal protection, as recent stories of troops surviving due to their armour show. "However, we can never be complacent, and the new Osprey Assault body armour and Mark 7 helmet offer an improvement in the way that these items fit and feel. The contracts that I am announcing today for this new personal protection system demonstrate that we're listening to what our troops need by continuously upgrading their equipment." "Troops will be issued with a new ballistic plate that is much thinner, considerably reducing their bulk and burden and improving their endurance." General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue The updated helmet has the same protection as the current Mark 6A, but will improve the effectiveness of the soldier.

It is equipped with a new harness keeping the helmet more stable on the head when night-vision equipment is fitted to it and is also better integrated with new weapon sights, making it easier to use weapons in a variety of fighting positions. The new Osprey Assault body armour has all the stopping power of the current Osprey but is closer fitting, less bulky and easier to move in. Chief of Defence Materiel, General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue, who unveiled the new kit at MOD's DVD equipment show, said: "Osprey is a proven world-class system and is undoubtedly a success story in terms of providing better protection to our troops. It is specifically developed to meet our requirements using cutting-edge materials and manufacturing technology. The Mark 7 helmet and Osprey Assault body armour from behind [Picture: Andrew Linnett, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009] "Osprey Assault is a development of this success that allows us to ensure our troops are getting the best kit for the job they are doing. Specifically the troops will be issued with a new ballistic plate that is much thinner, considerably reducing their bulk and burden and improving their endurance. "There will also be a new body armour cover to hold this plate and the soft fragmentation armour. This has been designed for an improved fit, based on user feedback, and includes a new system for carrying ammunition, first aid equipment and other vital kit." The DVD event is an equipment showcase organised by Defence Equipment and Support, which highlights the importance of diverse areas such as fuel delivery, clothing, food and vehicles that have been bought or upgraded under the Urgent Operational Requirements programme.

DTN News: US Opens 'Major Afghan Offensive'

DTN News: US Opens 'Major Afghan Offensive' *Sources: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) KABUL, Afghanistan - July 2, 2009: The US army says it has launched a major offensive against the Taliban in south Afghanistan's Helmand province. The US military says about 4,000 Marines as well as 650 Afghan troops are involved, supported by Nato planes. Brigadier General Larry Nicholson said the operation was different from previous ones because of the "massive size of the force" and its speed. The offensive is the Marines' first major operation since their recent deployment to Afghanistan. It is also the first such operation under President Barack Obama's presidency. The operation - codenamed Khanjar or Strike of the Sword - began when units moved into the Helmand river valley in the early hours of Thursday. US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade wait to get onto a helicopter as part of Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province in Afghanistan on July 2, 2009. US Marines launched a major offensive into the Taliban heartlands of southern Afghanistan before dawn as President Barack Obama's new war plan swung into action. With dozens of aircraft ferrying out troops from various bases, the assault aimed to insert forces into insurgent strongholds in Helmand province in what officers said was the biggest offensive airlift by the Marines since Vietnam. Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword), involving nearly 4,000 US forces as well as 650 Afghan police and soldiers, would bring security to the Helmand River valley ahead of presidential elections on August 20, commanders aid. Helicopters and heavy transport vehicles carried out the advance, with Nato planes providing air cover. UK-led forces in Helmand launched their own operation to combat the Taliban insurgency last week, in what the Ministry of Defence described as one of the largest air operations in modern times. Thousands of British forces under Nato command have been fighting the Taliban in Helmand since 2006, but there has been criticism that they have been overstretched and under-resourced. Security aim Southern Afghanistan is considered a Taliban stronghold. The security forces will build bases to provide security for the local people so that they can carry out every activity with this favourable background, and take their lives forward in peace Gulab MangalHelmand Governor "Where we go we will stay, and where we stay, we will hold, build and work toward transition of all security responsibilities to Afghan forces," said Brig Gen Nicholson in a statement. At a briefing at the US military's Camp Leatherneck last week, he told personnel and embedded reporters: "One of the most critical things is to tell people why we're there, and we are going to have a limited opportunity to gain their trust." The operation would have an initial highly aggressive stage lasting 36 hours, AFP news agency reported. It aims to improve security ahead of presidential elections on 20 August, allowing voter registration where before there was none, Gen Nicholson said. US Marines from 2nd Battalion, 8 Marine Regiment of 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade wait to board helicopters as they leave to take part in Operation Khanjar - Strike of the Sword - at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province on July 2, 2009. US Marines launched a major offensive into the Taliban heartlands of southern Afghanistan early on July 2 as President Barack Obama's new war plan swung into action. Operation Khanjar involved nearly 4,000 US forces as well as 650 Afghan police and soldiers, the Marine Expeditionary Brigade said, announcing the pre-dawn launch of the drive in southern Helmand province. A US military spokesman, Captain William Pelletier, told the BBC there had been "no enemy contact" in the first hours of the operation, but one marine was slightly injured when an improvised explosive device detonated in the village of Nawa. Nawa and nearby Garmsir - south of the provincial capital Lashkar Gah - are key targets in the operation, as the area is considered a refuge for militants and no US or Nato troops have previously operated there in large numbers. Capt Pelletier said the US military was prepared for casualties, but stressed that "it is absolutely essential that no civilians be harmed". Helmand Governor Gulab Mangal predicted the operation would be "very effective". "The security forces will build bases to provide security for the local people so that they can carry out every activity with this favourable background, and take their lives forward in peace." Troop numbers I am convinced that the addition of those [US] troops is going to improve the security situation General Jim Dutton Commander of UK forces. As of June 2009, Nato's International Security Assistance Force had 61,130 personnel from 42 countries including the US, Canada, European countries, Australia, Jordan and New Zealand. The US is the largest contributor, providing 28,850 soldiers. It also has troops under Operation Enduring Freedom - mostly in the east of Afghanistan on the border with Pakistan - that are not under Isaf's command. In December 2008 they numbered 17,100. President Obama has pledged to send an additional 21,000 extra soldiers to Afghanistan, many of them redeployed from operations in Iraq, to help with training Afghan security forces and to tackle the insurgency. Last week the commander of UK troops in Afghanistan, General Jim Dutton, denied that the battle against the Taliban was "a losing campaign". Gen Dutton welcomed the planned increase in US troop numbers. "I am convinced that the addition of those [US] troops is going to improve the security situation," he said.

British Army Orders Dune Buggies For Afghanistan / Combat Buggies Ordered For Afghanistan

British Army Orders Dune Buggies For Afghanistan / Combat Buggies Ordered For Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) April 9, 2009: A fleet of brand new all-terrain vehicles has been ordered by the Ministry of Defence to move vital equipment to troops on the front line in Afghanistan. British Army Orders Dune Buggies For Afghanistan / Combat Buggies Ordered For Afghanistan. Unmodified prototype of the Springer dune buggy [Picture: MOD] A £7m contract has been awarded to Derbyshire-based Enhanced Protection Systems Ltd (EPS) to supply around 75 Springer vehicles which will hold a crew of two and have the ability to carry a combat load of one tonne. The Springer, which is expected to be delivered to the MOD this summer, will be specifically focused on moving combat supplies from helicopter landing sites into the forward operating bases. Dr Andrew Tyler, Chief Operating Officer for MOD Defence Equipment and Support, said: "This new vehicle will enable the delivery of vital equipment to front line troops. It is designed specifically for rugged, desert conditions - which means it is well-matched to the operational environment in Afghanistan. "[Springer] is designed specifically for rugged, desert conditions - which means it is well-matched to the operational environment in Afghanistan." Dr Andrew Tyler "The Springer dune buggy will be an added capability for troops at Forward Operating Bases in Afghanistan. This contract demonstrates that we're continuing to invest in vehicles for the front line." Managing Director of EPS, Sue Maltby, said: "EPS UK Ltd prides itself on delivering quality products to the defence and security industry and is delighted to be involved with the MOD with our Springer vehicle, which will provide valuable service to our soldiers on operations." The Springer will be the first vehicle of its kind to be used by British forces in theatre and will provide battlefield commanders with additional transport capabilities on the front line.

U.K., U.S. Armored-Vehicle Firms Form Support Joint Venture

U.K., U.S. Armored-Vehicle Firms Form Support Joint Venture

(NSI News Source Info) LONDON - April 7, 2009: U.S. armored-vehicle builder Force Protection has set up its first overseas joint venture, a 50-50 partnership with NP Aerospace that will support the growing Cougar-based fleet in operation with or ordered by the British military. The first task of the new company, known as Integrated Survivability Technologies (IST), will be to supply to the MoD 97 of Force Protection's new heavy tactical support vehicles, to be called the Wolfhound in British service. The Cougar is a family of armored vehicles produced by Force Protection Inc, which manufactures ballistic and mine-protected vehicles. The automotives are integrated by Spartan Motors. These specialty vehicles are protected against small arms, land mines and IEDs using a combination of design features and materials to protect both the crew and engine compartment against a wide range of attacks. A Monocoque type, V-shaped hull that extends to the engine bay and serves to direct the blast away from under the vehicle. The dual air-conditioners help keep heavily dressed troops from overheating in the 100+ degree F temperatures of Iraq. 4000 of these vehicles will have been fielded under the US military's MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) and other vehicle programs. US Defense secretary Robert Gates demanded that the vehicles be ordered in larger numbers after the Marines reported in 2004 that no troops had died in more than 300 IED attacks on Cougars. Since then, Cougars have been hit by IEDs many times in Iraq with few fatalities. Britain chose the Cougar over the RG-33 for their "Mastiff" APV. The Pentagon has future plans to add the Crows II remote weapon station, Raytheon Quick Kill active anti-RPG system, and the Frag Kit 6 anti-EFP armor. The armored truck is being purchased along with vehicles from Navistar Defense and local company Supacat to meet a 350 million pound ($522 million) upgrade of capabilities to support British troops fighting in Afghanistan. The new joint venture will subcontract Force Protection to supply the basic vehicles. NP Aerospace is undertaking the modifications required by the British. The order is to be delivered by the end of the year as part of an urgent operational requirement purchase. IST will assume design authority for the Cougar-based vehicles and will be the focal point for new orders and support with spares, upgrades and design modifications, according to the company's managing director, Mike Linton. Nearly 554 Cougar-based vehicles have been ordered or are in service with the British armed forces. The six-wheel-drive Cougar is known as the Mastiff and the four-wheel-drive version as the Ridgback in British service. Under previous arrangements, the MoD ordered the vehicles from Force Protection, then handed them as government-furnished equipment to NP Aerospace, which did the modifications that turned them into Mastiffs and Ridgbacks. Linton said the new relationship will result in a more "elegant and efficient solution." The MoD recently ordered 14 Force Protection Buffalo route-clearance vehicles to strengthen its anti-roadside-bomb capabilities. The support of those vehicles also will come under IST's umbrella, Linton said. The joint venture's horizons go beyond Britain, he said. "The aspiration is to start looking for business in Europe once the joint venture gets up and running. There is real opportunity there. It may be better for Cougar to be supported from the U.K. than the U.S.," he said. France and Italy are both Force Protection customers, and Poland has 40 Cougars on loan from the U.S. In a statement released to the stock exchange here, Morgan Crucible, the company that owns NP Aerospace, said it expected to generate more than 30 million pounds' revenue as its share of the 84 million pound Wolfhound deal secured with the MoD. Late last year, the MoD announced the Wolfhound would be part of a purchase of more than 400 new armored support trucks. Navistar Defense is supplying about 260 MXTs for a medium-weight vehicle called the Husky by the British. Local company Supacat will supply a variant of its Jackal vehicle known as the Coyote for the light support vehicle requirement. Last week, the MoD announced British-based firm Dytecna would be undertaking the modification of the Navistar vehicle.