Scary facts about topical news items.

ukdane · 04 March, 2003, 02:57:24 PM

Seem to have something from Sky News most mornings now!

This morning (04/03/03) a reporter from Sky News was talking to a high ranking British soldier currently posted in Kuwait. In the interview he stated that 85% of the troops present are outfitted with the correct Equipment.

85%!

That means 15% aren't equipped correctly to fight a war!

15% might not sound a lot BUT put this figure into context. I've just done a search to find out how many British troops are currently in Kuwait and I came back with a figure from late January that suggested 20000 troops were in the region- or on their way at that time.

15% of 20000 (forgive my maths) is something like 1300. That's 1300 men or women sent to the gulf region to fight a war with the incorrect attire or equipment.

Art · 04 March, 2003, 03:02:23 PM

Yeah, I beleive we privatised troop logistics to make them more efficient, sort of like the rail service.

Trough · 04 March, 2003, 03:02:32 PM

Even more preposterously, modern British guns and tanks don't function properly in the desert.

Oddboy · 04 March, 2003, 03:03:35 PM

20,000/100x15 = 3,000

Oddboy · 04 March, 2003, 03:05:07 PM

Which just makes the picture worse.

The Enigmatic Dr X · 04 March, 2003, 03:07:00 PM

Wee correction. I used to work for a defence company, which shall remain nameless. Our tanks work, but the yank tanks don't.

Art · 04 March, 2003, 03:10:35 PM

Heres the link (shamelessly nicked form someone elses blog, naturally):

Link: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,906005,00.html" target="_blank">The first privatised war

http://www.modpages.com/~royalforces/testing1_files/weaponshots/sa80sdrs.jpg">

ukdane · 04 March, 2003, 03:32:54 PM

Thanks Odd (I new I'd get it wrong)!

Something about grains of sand causes a mafunction/backfire....

What hope is there, if they didn't realise that there was sand in the desert!

Queen Firey-Bou · 04 March, 2003, 03:43:19 PM

well considering that only two of us in the fire brigade there actually have gloves suitable for going anywhere near a fire, & many brigades up here don't actually have helmets with visors, correct boots or nofink, it doesn't surprise me that the military is an equipmental shambols. Its discusting expecting those young people to go out there & do a discusting job not even equiped proper.
Blair & Bush? = discust.

W. R. Logan · 04 March, 2003, 04:02:03 PM

>That means 15% aren't equipped correctly to fight a war!

Whats new.

It was the same during Gulf I, when I was with the UN, and at many other times I bought my own stuff because it was better. German Tank Suits are way superior to British Tank Overalls.
They give you figures about not being equipped properly but rarely tell you what they havent got, and its probably nothing to exciting.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

W. R. Logan · 04 March, 2003, 04:08:50 PM

>tanks don't function properly in the desert

They need to have slight modifications fitted and the driver has more work to do but they work.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.

ukdane · 04 March, 2003, 04:47:54 PM

Well on this occassion, he mentioned that they had boots, but they were all too small!

German Tank Suits are way superior to British Tank Overalls

When I first read this, I thought you said German Tank Tops :-p

Well, it made me smile!

Slippery PD · 04 March, 2003, 04:51:37 PM

Slips brings the conversation to his normal base level.

German ladies in tank tops?!?! Eeeeewwwwwww watch out hairy armpits :-)

Yer "double entendre" Slippo

Proudhuff · 04 March, 2003, 06:37:20 PM

The most embarassing thing in my life happened with an 'alleged' tank top!! oh the humiliation!

Anyway, its not just the boots but the guns too (AS80?)like all our stuff built for fighting in Gemany/Poland/Northern Ireland/urban setting.

I feel sorry for the troops, the radios are crap too, in Kosovo they had to use their mobiles, but there no mobile cover in the desert. Links to the yank aircrafts aren't good so there's the oxymonron of 'friendly fire' to deal with.

There is a 'stop the war' Lobby of the Scottish Parliement on Thursday this week 4pm to 6pm, I'll be there, with out the tank top!

Middenpus

W. R. Logan · 04 March, 2003, 07:11:24 PM

>Links to the yank aircrafts aren't good so there's the oxymonron of 'friendly fire' to deal with.

Friendly fire is due to the fact that the yanks are crap at vehicle recognition, having a good radio isnt going to stop that. Tanks and aircraft would be on different frequencies, using different call signs under control of different people. Calling on your radio to see if the target you have in your sights isnt going to change your decision in the few seconds you have, knowing the difference between a challenger and a T-55 will.

La Placa Rifa,
W. R. Logan.