Afghan Army receives first batch of M113 APC's

Welcome to Philippines Defense Forces Forum. We hope you enjoy your visit.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.

Join our community!

If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Pages:
1
2

Afghan Army receives first batch of M113 APC's; with more to follow
Tweet Topic Started: May 8 2005, 11:16 AM (1,299 Views)
spiderweb6969	May 8 2005, 11:16 AM Post #1
Posts: 2,700 Group: Elite Member #427 Joined: April 11, 2005	Afghan Army recieves first batch of M113 APC's from US By U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Mack Davis Office of Military Cooperation-Afghanistan Public Affairs KABUL, Afghanistan, April 28, 2005 — The Afghan National Army is getting a new look over the next few months. As a result of a recent equipment donation, they will appear a little less Soviet and a little more like their Coalition partners. The Afghan National Army recently took delivery of 10 M113A2 armored personnel carriers from the United States at Camp Pol-e-Charkhi, on the outskirts of Kabul. This was the first shipment of vehicles with more to follow. Lt. Col. David Braxton, logistics operations chief at the Office of Military Cooperation-Afghanistan, said, “Based on the force structure designed for Afghanistan’s internal threat, armored personnel carriers were identified as a requirement for the Afghanistan National Army. The U.S. M113A2s are an excess defense article, which allows them to be donated. Given the performance and popularity of the M113s around the world, it is an excellent match for the (Afghan National Army’s) (armored personnel carrier) requirement.” The M113s already have a home. They will become part of the 2nd Kandak (Battalion) Mechanized Infantry, in the 201st Corps’ 3rd Brigade, located in Kabul. The 218th Infantry Regiment of the South Carolina Army National Guard, part of Task Force Phoenix, has been tasked with training the Afghan National Army to operate and maintain the new vehicles. According to 1st Sgt. Bobby Duggins, one of the kandak’s embedded training team advisors, “The (Afghan National Army) soldiers are totally excited about receiving this vehicle. The M113 is a new vehicle for them and there is always a level of excitement when you introduce something new.” “Because this (armored personnel carrier) is so versatile, it can be used in many ways,” added Duggins. While the Afghan National Army will use the armored personnel carriers primarily to transport troops, Duggins added that the M113 “can also be used as a squad heavy weapon (to fire mortars), and it can be used by medical units and maintenance teams going into the battlefield.” In addition to the 10 M113s that arrived recently, Braxton said, “We expect 45 M113s and 16 M577s (command vehicles) to begin arriving the second week in May. The remaining vehicles will be in country throughout the next month for a total of 63 M113s and 16 M577s.” Because the 2nd Kandak Mechanized team was previously fielded with another armored personnel carrier, the Soviet BMP1, training on the M113 was a smooth transition. Prior to the arrival of the U.S. M113s, the kandak soldiers were trained by the International Security Assistance Force’s Norwegian Battle Group using five modified M113s they deployed to Afghanistan earlier this year. According to Lt. Col. Jon Mangersnes, Norwegian Battle Group commander, “We conducted two weeks of practical training. This type of training cannot be conducted in a class room; you have to get hands on the vehicle.” The training covered the basic operation and maintenance of the M113, including how to start, steer and maneuver, and how to manipulate the operator switches. “It was a lot of fun for my guys,” added Mangersnes. “The Afghan soldiers were very receptive to the training and the younger soldiers are extremely proud to be in the Afghan Army.” This is not the first time the Norwegians have worked with the Afghan National Army. The battle group provides security in the Kabul area and often trains and works with the Afghan National Army. Future training on the M113s will be provided to new soldiers during basic training at the Kabul Military Training Center by U.S. and Coalition mobile training teams. The total donation, including repair parts, is estimated to be worth $10 million. The U.S. is the only country providing the M113s, ensuring that all the M113 variants are the same so they will be less expensive to maintain. “To sustain the M113s here in country, the Afghan National Army’s 3rd Brigade is receiving a one-year stock level of repair parts,” said New Hampshire Army National Guardsman Chief Warrant Officer Gill Colon, the Task Force Phoenix logistics officer and embedded training team advisor to the 3rd Brigade. In order to support the M113s in Pol-e-Charkhi, several changes had to be made. “We have converted our warehouse to accommodate the (armored personnel carrier) spare parts and have converted some of the Quonset huts into maintenance bays,” said Colon. The maintenance for the M113 fleet will be conducted by Afghan National Army mechanics who will be trained by U.S. mobile training teams. The South Carolina Army National Guardsmen who normally train the 2nd Kandak will be leaving Afghanistan in a few months. According to the unit’s executive officer, Maj. Greg Cornell, “We want to get the (Afghan National Army) mechanized team at least to team-level proficiency on the M113 before we leave. A special range is being prepared so that we can work on maneuvers and team-level live-fire exercises.” Cornell added, “The range training will teach the (Afghan National Army) soldiers to take two vehicles, placing one in an overwatch (security) position, and the other in a position so that the dismounts can flank the enemy and engage. We also want the (Afghan National Army) to be able to move and provide weapons fire.” Cornell said, “The (Afghan National Army) soldiers in the mechanized 2nd Kandak that we have been working with are just ingenious; they have the ability to take any mission and figure out a way to accomplish it. They have done phenomenal things with minimum resources. As we (coalition partners) are able to provide more resources and support, there won’t be much they will not be able to accomplish.” The Afghan people will get their first look at their army’s newly painted M113s at the Afghan National Day Parade, scheduled for April 28 in Kabul.



adroth	May 9 2005, 12:57 PM Post #2
Member Posts: 1,127 Group: Regulars Member #13 Joined: July 12, 2004	This topic is also discussed here: http://www.worldsarmedforces.com/viewtopic.php?p=4897#4897 Sigh, the Afghans are even getting M577 Command versions of the M113.
	Avatar c/o: http://www.proudlypinoy.org/ Defense of the Republic of the Philippines (DefensePH)


saver111	May 9 2005, 05:07 PM Post #3
PDFF Moderator Posts: 10,625 Group: PDFF Mod Group Member #408 Joined: March 23, 2005	They needed it more coming from scratch. And it's America's confidence building. Uncle Sam is here! Love us, we'll provide the rest.
	Justice for Daniel Lorenz Jacinto HELP END PIRACY NOW!: http://www.itfseafarers.org/petition.cfm


Tormentor	May 9 2005, 07:18 PM Post #4
Member Posts: 360 Group: Regulars Member #56 Joined: July 31, 2004	Easiest way to modernize the AFP - invite the Taliban here!
	It's a bird, it's a plane...no...it's Super Trillanes!


israeli	May 9 2005, 08:13 PM Post #5
Posts: 3,069 Group: Elite Member #22 Joined: July 13, 2004	if we asked the US Government for surplus M113s and M577s just like what the Afghans did, we could have gotten those war machines.
	"To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz


commando	May 15 2005, 03:16 PM Post #6
Member Posts: 407 Group: Regulars Member #458 Joined: May 12, 2005	What is the fighting strength and weapons of the Afghan military?
	**THIS WE'LL DEFEND**


adroth	May 15 2005, 03:40 PM Post #7
Member Posts: 1,127 Group: Regulars Member #13 Joined: July 12, 2004	commando May 14 2005, 11:16 PM What is the fighting strength and weapons of the Afghan military? The goal is to bring the Afghan National Army's strength up to 70,000 troops. Slightly less than the AFP's own strength. As for equipment, the following have been donated thus far, check out the following articles: Afghan Army Gets Armored Personnel Carriers Norway Donates Tent Kits to Afghan Army India Delivers 50 New Trucks To Afghan National Army Afghan Army Receives 1st Shipment of Light Tactical Vehicles
	Avatar c/o: http://www.proudlypinoy.org/ Defense of the Republic of the Philippines (DefensePH)


commando	May 17 2005, 04:46 PM Post #8
Member Posts: 407 Group: Regulars Member #458 Joined: May 12, 2005	What about their Air Force?
	**THIS WE'LL DEFEND**


Tormentor	May 17 2005, 05:10 PM Post #9
Member Posts: 360 Group: Regulars Member #56 Joined: July 31, 2004	commando May 17 2005, 04:46 PM What about their Air Force? 64 B2 Spirit stealth bombers 24 F-15E Strike Eagles and more on the way...
	It's a bird, it's a plane...no...it's Super Trillanes!


commando	May 24 2005, 09:29 PM Post #10
Member Posts: 407 Group: Regulars Member #458 Joined: May 12, 2005	Impressive!
	**THIS WE'LL DEFEND**


1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)


Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · World Military News and Issues · Next Topic »

Pages:
1
2