Your thoughts on this: The Leapord C2 is not a Tank

[Unknown C/S]

CFL
  The reason for the quick getaway (while you are holding the tank telephone) is so you guys don't have time to steal another roll of toilet paper. It is not just us tankers that suffer under this plan to scrap the MBT. Our friends in the black caddilacs will never know the feeling of recieving a complimentry roll of TP in the middle of an assault.
  Those who have worked in close support know what I'm talking about. For all the rest..................... ask an "oldtimer"

 

[Riflechair]

We could buy T-90's on special order from our buddies the Russians outfitted with 120mm smooth bores for the same price as the striker. This is insane.

 

[Gobsmacked]

Major J.A. Atkins
Project Director, Mobile Gun System Project

Can we really think that anyone in that program will say bad things about the  MGS?

In regards to current MGS PD
Maj J.A. Atkins  DLR 3-4      [incidentally - LCol Petit is Asst DLR - his boss]
As of April 2003, Maj Atkins was Project Director - M-113 Life Extension [LE]
LS OPI TLAV Fleet
{And we all know how successful and over budget that was} 

The 12 Dec 02 BN 'Strykers for Canada' provides recent Army Transformation costs.
"Canada will continue to operate 289 Life-extended M-113 tracked APCs in a Combat Service Support [CSS] role."
Unfortunately, the M-113 Life-extension ran a to-date C$95M cost-overrun (41% increase per vehicle - approx C$1.266M each) for a total cost of C$366M, a 29% vehicle reduction from originally planned 406 x M-113 Life-extension.  Even though just 289 M113A3 / MTVL variants will be upgraded for the CSS role, 'Jane's Armour and Artillery' notes DND "awarded a C$215M contract to DEW Engineering and Development of Ottawa for the M-113 APCLE programme.  United Defence LP . . . is the main subcontractor, and was awarded a C$147M contract by DEW for the supply of 156 M-113A3 upgrade kits, and 174 upgrade kits for the stretched MTVL version, engineering data and integrated logistic support."  Therefore, even though DND has paid for 330 M-113 upgrade kits (C$0.445M each) and integrated logistics support, DEW has 41 unused M-113 upgrade kits in stock that DND has already paid for  :-X
- and just requires the foresight of DND to pay the minimal C$33.66M (at C$1.266M - C$0.445M = C$0.821M per M-113) for the upgrade work.  8)
As has been noted elsewhere, a mixed wheeled-tracked fleet works for other successful armies such as USMC. 

 

[Leopard1]

Interesting thread. It never ceases to amaze me that "the men" always have the right answers. If only the politicians would ask us before making purchases. Point to note: If they can't even get the uniform/kit issue sorted out properly then I do not forsee a happy future for the Corps. Final thought: Gee it's no wonder old dogs like myself are rapidly getting fed up and many are deciding to pull plug long before the ordinarily would have in days gone past.

MCpl Paul Petrie
RCD

 

[George Wallace]

Welcome Paul

You share the same attitude as many of us.  We are called "Dinosaurs" because we are 'fighting' to save what we believe in.  We are accused of not accepting change.  I would rather look at it as 'not accepting change for change sake', as not all changes are for the better.  Us Dinosaurs look at these changes as crippling or destroying the Corps, rather than improving it.  We have accepted changes for the better, but once we see something that we believe is not for the better and raise our voices, we are branded Dinosaurs by those who have never BTDTGTT.

GW