Another new armoured vehicle is axed

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Another new amoured vehicle is set to be axed, after the MoD re-confirmed that it would remove the three year old Vikings from operations next year.

The armoured troop carriers were only introduced into service in 2006 and hailed by MoD officials as the "best protected" vehicles. But they quickly proved to be ineffective against IEDs and landmines used by the Taliban. A number of servicemen have died in the vehicles due to the poor armoured protection.

Following the conclusion of a coroner's inquest into the death of Robert Pearson, who was killed in Afghanistan in a Viking, the MoD confirmed that the vehicles would be scrapped next year and replaced by the brand new Warthog armoured vehicle.

Engineers had attempted to overcome the vehicle's weakness against IEDs by adding more armour but have admitted in recent months that there is little more they can do to protect the vehicles.

The MoD is paying millions of pounds in the short term to upgrade 50 of the vehicles including reinforcing the undercarriages so that they will be able to withstand IED and landmine strikes.

A MoD official yesterday said that they will "learn lessons" from Pearson's death.

"The threat posed to our forces in Afghanistan is regularly reviewed.

"Viking is being replaced in Afghanistan by a new vehicle, Warthog, that can carry more armour and provides our soldiers with better protection to meet the current and emerging threats in Afghanistan," a spokesperson said.

The Viking represents the second new armoured vehicle to be withdrawn from service. Last month it was confirmed that the Vector armoured vehicle, also introduced in 2006 was being withdrawn after several servicemen were killed in the vehicles.