Article from Local Press...More Info?

[andym]

Hi All,

Can anyone here provide further detail on this snippet from a local paper?

Thanks,

Andy

"THE Ministry of Defence spent £149 million on an "urgent" upgrade to 900 tanks that are now only being used in training exercises, it was revealed.

The tanks were upgraded for use in Iraq but are unsuitable for deployment in Afghanistan where Mastiff and Ridgback vehicles are better suited to cope with the terrain and threat."

[davidelvy]

Treat the word "tanks" with caution. The press seem to call anything which has armour and/or tracks a tank.

[TonyT]

Look at it this way, the British Armed forces are strapped for everything,

India has expressed an interest in buying one of the new Carriers if we cannot afford it, they also have just bought a fleet of 737's for their armed forces and have a Space Programme that has seen their first Launch....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/no...ft-carrier-sale

then there is the 2.9 Billion dollar Nuclear sub they just built

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hy...how/4820660.cms

On top of that the UK has given 850 Million pounds of aid last year to India to fund school building and teachers so that every child their gets an education.......... WHY???????????????????

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page14318

Mr Brown said:

"I am inspired to see how many girls have benefited from literacy, how many girls who lost out at an early stage are now going back to school and getting training and getting jobs in India.

"But we must give every young child the basic right to education and that is what the £825 million programme is designed to achieve."

And that in a nutshell is why the UK is so f**ked up... we are funding everyone elses Countries education systems and aid etc when we have over crowding in schools, lack of staff and slum areas at home.... India as shown has the finances to sort out their own problems, and we should not be paying for them so they can build their military might at the expense of their people.

If they can afford to but a £1 billion pound carrier, that aid should be going to our own schools and our own Military, instead of funding another nations whilst they spend on their Military

[Dave Fleming]

Hi All,

Can anyone here provide further detail on this snippet from a local paper?

Thanks,

Andy

"THE Ministry of Defence spent £149 million on an "urgent" upgrade to 900 tanks that are now only being used in training exercises, it was revealed.

The tanks were upgraded for use in Iraq but are unsuitable for deployment in Afghanistan where Mastiff and Ridgback vehicles are better suited to cope with the terrain and threat."

Bulldog? Warrior?

[Graham T]

Look at it this way, the British Armed forces are strapped for everything,

India has expressed an interest in buying one of the new Carriers if we cannot afford it, they also have just bought a fleet of 737's for their armed forces and have a Space Programme that has seen their first Launch....

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/no...ft-carrier-sale

then there is the 2.9 Billion dollar Nuclear sub they just built

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hy...how/4820660.cms

On top of that the UK has given 850 Million pounds of aid last year to India to fund school building and teachers so that every child their gets an education.......... WHY???????????????????

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page14318

And that in a nutshell is why the UK is so f**ked up... we are funding everyone elses Countries education systems and aid etc when we have over crowding in schools, lack of staff and slum areas at home.... India as shown has the finances to sort out their own problems, and we should not be paying for them so they can build their military might at the expense of their people.

If they can afford to but a £1 billion pound carrier, that aid should be going to our own schools and our own Military, instead of funding another nations whilst they spend on their Military

A qualified hear hear to that. Funding a space programme & nuclear weapons when you can't feed your population does seem a little extravigant. We also give millions a year to Russia!

[sinnerboy]

On top of that the UK has given 850 Million pounds of aid last year to India to fund school building and teachers so that every child their gets an education.......... WHY???????????????????

coz, we're 'kin stupid!

[chadders]

That'll be same reason as to why we allow so many unemployed/unemployable foreigners into the country, and then give them a house/car/mobile phone. We have a B & Q distribution center locally, and its been leaked out that of the 1200 working there, 16 are British. This country is just messed up. Like my Dad says, "If the world had a dose of piles, this is where they'd be"

[Mike]

...let's knock the politics on the head please chaps?

[sinnerboy]

...let's knock the politics on the head please chaps?

sorry boss...sometimes we need a rant

................AND ANOTHER THING! LOL

Edited November 23, 2009 by sinnerboy

[Buzby061]

I think the "Tanks" are Bulldogs, upgraded 1960s APCs.

They were upgraded as a result of experience in Iraq but apparently aren't suitable for Afghanistan, according to today's Times - which also referred to them as tanks. (D'oh!)

Bulldog APC

Pete

[Panzer Vor!!!]

there fv432 bulit in the 60s well past there life span, you see them at shows or tank experence days giving rides to the public.

[siege bison]

Bulldog is a pretty comprehensive upgrade involving most of the suspension, engine etc being replaced and the hulls upgraded as well as all the armour upgrades, its alot of money but ALOT less than buying new vehicles or loosing an APC full of troops. It was an urgent oporder for use in iraq and was well used out there - not "just" a training vehicle.