Thanks Jonathan!
via Defense News...
“Wow. I always had a neutral opinion of the Dingo 2 and at worst thought it was as good as the other MRAPs out there. Now I'm not so sure. Hopefully a European reader will be able to let us know if this is politics or an actual issue.
In Norway, Anger Over Dingo Vehicle Buy
By GERARD O’DWYER
HELSINKI — The Norwegian government’s decision to “rush through” an order for 20 Dingo 2 armored personnel vehicles has drawn accusations from opposition parties that the Ministry of Defense (MoD) picked a vehicle type spurned by its ground forces in Afghanistan.
On Nov. 18, the opposition conservative party, Høyre, sent 13 questions to the ministry, expressing doubts that the Dingo 2 would offer adequate protection.
“We want to know why so much money was spent on a vehicle which our troops in Afghanistan do not feel safe in,” said Ivar Kristiansen, a Høyre representative on the Norwegian parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. “There is also the risk that the Dingo 2 may be used as a route-clearing vehicle. It has never been used by any force in such a role.” In a Nov. 26 written response, Defense Minister Grete Faremo defended the decision but conceded that defense chief Gen. Harald Sunde had expressed a preference for U.S. company Oshkosh’s MRAP all-terrain vehicle (M-ATV).
Faremo said the selection was made by Forsvarets Logistikkorganisasjon (FLO), Norway’s defense logistics organization, and endorsed by Forsvarets Operative Hovedkvarter, the armed forces’ operational headquarters.
She said the Dingo 2 was the best available vehicle for improving Norwegian forces’ overall protection against improvised bombs and other explosives. Delaying the purchase would expose Norwegian soldiers to an unnecessary and unacceptable high risk, she said.
“This has been a rapid acquisition under severe time pressure, and I’m happy with the result,” Faremo said in her statement. “I recognize that not all our soldiers in Afghanistan agree with the choice of vehicle, but I must emphasize that the Dingo 2 was the only acceptable option that could be deployed now.” Faremo said the FLO would test the Dingo 2’s suitability for clearing routes.
On Oct. 29, the MoD signed an initial $25 million contract for 20 Dingo 2s with Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. Three weeks later, the first vehicle entered service with Norway’s troops in Afghanistan.
The quick move angered opposition groups and divided military opinion, said Jan Arild Ellingsen, the Progress Party’s spokesman on defense.
“The jury is out on whether the Dingo 2 is the best armored vehicle in Afghanistan of its type,” Ellingsen said. “This seems like a costly temporary solution. We have received honest feedback from our troops in Afghanistan, and the general feeling is that they do not have confidence in this vehicle.” He said the Army’s weapons testing center wrote to the MoD on Oct. 18 advising the government against the purchase of the Dingo 2, Ellingsen said.
The Armed Forces Command, in response, stated that the testing center has changed its position after receiving additional technical data on the Dingo 2 from the FLO and now supports the purchase.
Ellingsen said the MoD should have considered the Oshkosh M-ATV, the armored fighting vehicle designed for U.S. Army use among the prevailing threats and mountainous terrain in Afghanistan.
Faremo said the MoD was informed by U.S. Central Command that the vehicle would not be available to purchase or lease before 2012.
The operational headquarters commander, Maj. Gen. Bernt Brovold, confirmed that the military had been interested in the M-ATV but that U.S. officials said it was not yet available. Brovold said Norwegian forces in Afghanistan needed an armored vehicle quickly, and the Dingo 2’s Vshaped hull and elevated chassis would do the job.
“The Dingo 2 is a maneuverable heavy vehicle with a surprisingly quick acceleration,” he said. “It provides improved protection for our soldiers.” Ellingsen said the “rushing through” of the Dingo 2 purchase represents a knee-jerk response to rising Norwegian casualties in Afghanistan.
AFC figures reveal around 200 separate attacks on Norwegian forces in the first 10 months of 2010. These include around 20 roadside bombs, including a June blast that killed four soldiers traveling in an Iveco light multirole vehicle on patrol in Faryab province.
Nine Norwegian soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since 2004.
“Our soldiers deserve the best armored vehicle protection,” Ellingsen said. “This means using the same vehicles that the Americans do. We should buy or lease. What is very clear is that Army personnel and the military’s weapons testing unit are not convinced by the Dingo 2.” Faremo said such critical comments and assessments were based on general opinions and inaccurate data that failed to take full account of the Dingo 2’s absolute technical qualities and capabilities.
Belgium, which has ordered 220 Dingo 2 units, already deploys the vehicle in Afghanistan. It is also in service with the militaries of Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic.from the electronic version of DefenseNews.com
