GMK Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 Thought these may be of interest. 24 vehicles, delivered from 2008 in a unique-to-UK configuration, with very few pics in the public domain. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcrfan Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 Nice find for very shy vehicles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 That's because they're still classified SECRET - at least as far as their mission fit rather than their existence, which is hard to hide. Speaking as one who worked for a while in the project teams who bought and supported them. Even though I've retired now, even telling you their official designation will still get me into trouble. As far as I can see, casting my mind back, only 3 of those images are definitively UK-spec. Despite our obvious interest I'm not sure it serves the Regiment's interest to go delving after classified kit. The more we publicise it, the less able they are to use it - if indeed they are still using the survivors. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMK Posted February 26, 2019 Author Share Posted February 26, 2019 Thanks @Das Abteilung Like you say, the existence of the trucks is in the public domain (one was at a DVD hosted by DE&S before the installation of mission equipment). Happy to remove if required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted February 26, 2019 Share Posted February 26, 2019 Their existence is very much an open secret these days. That Genie left the lamp a long time ago. As you say, the DVD wagon was a vanilla import. I am surprised that one was snapped on the public road with an ERM plate to identify it. In my day they were moved on transporters under covers. But I'm not telling which 3 are the UK ones! The configuration evolved somewhat over time and there were 2 different batches of 12. Hiding in plain sight - one of the reasons for choosing the Bushmaster in the first place: it blended in with other nations' users in that theatre. If everyone had been using something else we would have bought whatever that was. Elsewhere another platform might be appropriate. The surviving Bushmasters may never see operational use again. Special Forces will often choose or use similar or visually anonymous kit to other nation's forces or to their own general forces in order not to mark themselves out either by national identity or as SF. OK - apart from the Americans.................. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graeme Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 Whats the grey vehicle to the right of the Bushmaster in the 2nd picture - is that an M-1117 of some description? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMK Posted March 6, 2019 Author Share Posted March 6, 2019 5 hours ago, Graeme said: Whats the grey vehicle to the right of the Bushmaster in the 2nd picture - is that an M-1117 of some description? Certainly looks like it. Looks like they were heavily modified in Iraqi or pershmerga service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 Yes it looks like one of their M1117s. It, or one very much like it, also appears in the 4th photo to the right of the Bushmaster. I believe the vehicle on the left in the 4th photo is a Streit Spartan. I'm not sure that substituting an open very tall cupola with a DShK 12.7mm for the original low closed turret with M2 12.7mm and 40mm Mk19 AGL makes much sense. Seems like a distinct downgrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMK Posted March 7, 2019 Author Share Posted March 7, 2019 10 hours ago, Das Abteilung said: Yes it looks like one of their M1117s. It, or one very much like it, also appears in the 4th photo to the right of the Bushmaster. I believe the vehicle on the left in the 4th photo is a Streit Spartan. I'm not sure that substituting an open very tall cupola with a DShK 12.7mm for the original low closed turret with M2 12.7mm and 40mm Mk19 AGL makes much sense. Seems like a distinct downgrade. It could be a M1200 Armo(u)red Knight, which doesn’t have a turret. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1200_Armored_Knight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingsman Posted March 7, 2019 Share Posted March 7, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, GMK said: It could be a M1200 Armo(u)red Knight, which doesn’t have a turret. Indeed it could. Hard to tell without the turret and from the photo angles and distances. The M1200 does have a standard external manned cupola similar to that found on other MRAP-type vehicles. However, in US service at least, the M1200 is a specialist target designator vehicle for indirectly-fired laser-guided munitions from aircraft, tube or rocket artillery. The laser and observation optics are mounted to one side of the cupola. As far as I can see the M1200 has not been supplied to Iraq: there would be no point as they have no laser-guided munitions. However, it seems that the M1117s supplied to Iraq (for the National Police rather than the Army?) were supplied factory-fitted with an open cupola instead of the turret, potentially therefore being easily mistaken for M1200 at a casual look. That cupola was similar to that seen earlier on MRAPs and had very low sides with little gunner protection except to the front. The M1200 cupola is very much taller. The Iraqis have clearly addressed that by adding additional taller armour like later MRAP setups, perpetuating the M1200 confusion. At a distance they have become very much alike. Iraq has apparently requested some M1117s fitted with a 90mm Cockerill gun, a commercial variant that had previously been ordered by the Afghan National Army but the deal fell through. The problem with buying equipment from the US as Foreign Military Sales - which US support funding usually ties you to - is that you have to buy the standard US service configuration because you're technically buying surplus kit. Although the US has become adept at specifically creating surplus to meet FMS deals. And the US doesn't use the 90mm variant, for which the gun and turret are made in Belgium. Which means that if the Iraqis want them they will have to spend hard currency to buy them rather than using "free" US export credits. Which might happen. They spent hard cash on various BTRs from Ukraine, but might have done an oil barter deal. This is why the early Mastiff 1 for UK forces arrived in the standard USMC configuration and then needed a lot of work in the UK to bring them up to the standard we wanted. They were FMS for the sake of speed. Mastiffs 2 and 3, Ridgeback and Wolfhound were direct commercial sales but as the upgrade line had already been established in the UK they were bought as standard Cougars (except Wolfhound which was a "UK Special"). Edited March 7, 2019 by Das Abteilung correction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMK Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 Seen in Syria this week: Some inspiration for the Dragon 1/72 scale kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandsmodels Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 i over took 3 of them going south on the M5 quite a few years ago, despite being covered with a tarp which was flapping about i knew they were bushmasters and they were sand coloured as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted February 12, 2022 Share Posted February 12, 2022 Nice pics, is making me rethink my plans for the 1/35 one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viper-30 Posted February 14, 2022 Share Posted February 14, 2022 I’ve got the British armour update pack for the 1/35 version Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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