Family Silver - anyone on ops short of six of these?

[EX_STAB]

Heavy Wheeled Tractor

Heavy Wheeled Tractor Fully Armoured and blast proof Cab & Superstructure,Imac Armoured Bucket, Imac Armoured mine clearance dozer blade, Imac Quick Release System 17 ton lift, Spare wheel , Rear view Camera , Aircon, Safe Load indicator,60 Hours only. Body Type: Wheeled Tractor Date in Service: 2001 Hours From: 60 Hours Condition From: Ex Reserve Un issued Guide Price From: £225,000 (excluding UK VAT) SN- 8TS00021 and SN- 8TS00022,Ideal for Mine clearance or Armoured Engineer applications, Ex Reserve un issued and totally unused, 2 Machines available for immediate World wide delivery We currently have 6 available Email sales@witham-sv.com to find out more

I bet the MOD flogged them off or a lot less than that.

See
http://www.edisposals.com/is-bin/IN...age;pgid=MieqQ4wkQg8000ArvQ_8K1sp0000ADp3y4kd
For more examples

I can see that we might as well sell off spare engines for 1960's trucks that are out of service but some of this stuff is more than usable.

 

[Priam]

Probably freed up from NI due to normalisation! (IIRC Normally used for Public Order in NI.)

Never seen or heard of these being used for Mine Clearance!
Anyone knowing any different please feel free to post!

I would take that blast proof with a pinch of salt as it does not say blast proof against what!

Not sure if these would be useful in Iraqistan, or even whether they are deployed.

Digger Drivers from the Corps are probably far too busy filling their faces with pies and beer to answer.

 

[keeffy]

they can be fitted with a concrete blade and used to scrape munitions off air fields and we did take them to telic with us
and they have been tested to the max in their time and well capable of withstanding anything the army basically got one and shot it to shit and it with stood it all

 

[keeffy]

basically something that does what it says on the tin not a bad bit of kit pity they are selling em

 

[Priam]

basically something that does what it says on the tin not a bad bit of kit pity they are selling em

If anyone wants one now they bid through PFI and should get it! Cannot see us being that short, if the one they are selling has only done 60 hours since 2001.

SCATMIN clearance trials off of flat surfaces was pretty successful for Air Sp Role! The wording of the ad suggests a ploughing capability though, which I have not heard about before and do not recall ever having seen it in doctrine.


Keefy, genuine question and ref Blast Proof what munitions were fired at it?
I don't think EFPs and daisy chains were in use against us when this kit was brought onto books!

 

[Priam]

EX STAB, If you can edit your poll to include something like "Just selling the surplus off"

Cheers Priam

 

[Priam]

Notice that someone has voted that they are on OPs and need one!
Suspect it might be because of the limited poll options, if not then please qualify your vote!

Otherwise the Journos could be all over this like a rash, with no real reason other than someone trying to make a mountain out of a molehill!!

 

[EX_STAB]

EX STAB, If you can edit your poll to include something like "Just selling the surplus off"

Cheers Priam

Hi Priam,

I thought quite hard about the poll and haven't voted on it myself. It would have been easy to set up a poll question such as:

Should they be sold off? Yes/no

Of course as I did phrase it we are relying on responses only coming from RE on ops whereas it's quite clear that anyone can vote on it.

I think it would be best if anyone who does vote on it states the case behind their decision. I don't think I can change it once the voting has started anyway. Let it run for a day or two and perhaps we can review it then?

My view is that this looks like astonishingly expensive and useful equipment that should be mothballed if not required for service at present.

Cheers,

Ex STAB

 

[bottlesofbecks]

might cost more to mothball than to sell off and buy new possibly better version when needed

 

[Fatbadge]

We could probably have found use for them out on Herrick last year, however theyre too big, too cumbersome to get rapidly transported anywhere. Would they fit in a C17? Im sure Bastion couldve made use of one or two of them for flattening the areas for camps and the airfield, maybe.. Would have to have flown into KAF and been transported up by RLC wagontrain (at least they wouldnt have broken that one on a Bridge.. )

Theyre an ADR asset in reality,(The Heavy Wheelie in General) the majority of what we're moving into as RE on ops is Infrastructure. Lay the Heavy to rest and bring on the new king, the Medium Wheelie!

Havent voted btw.

 

[ZXR-BIRD]

Just a bit off topic but has anybody used these for compaction with the DC fitted while on ex. / tour

I did the fam trg for the Heavy and used the compactor as part of the trg but never used or seen it used since - just wondered if they are ever used for this role.

 

[Fatbadge]

The LASS use em during training, I believe, but I cant ever think of one being used in anger..

They probably use em in the Falklands for squishing penguins (or crabs...)

 

[Priam]

I think it would be best if anyone who does vote on it states the case behind their decision.
My view is that this looks like astonishingly expensive and useful equipment that should be mothballed if not required for service at present.

Cheers for getting back to me!
I have highlighted 2 phrases above. I agree with "state your case if voting".

The mothballing of kit is one of the reasons why the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) was introduced.

Each Engr unit has a set amount of kit it should have, this kit has to be maintained and inspected which creates a manpower and financial bill.

A study was conducted which found that Plant usage (not a lot) v Bills (huge) was not financially viable.

ALC won a contract to supply, maintain and deliver the Army with plant wherever and whenever it is needed given a leadtime of ?? weeks.

The C Vehicle programme will provide a worldwide fleet of construction plant and field mechanical handling equipment operated typically by the Royal Engineers and Royal Logistic Corps respectively. This fleet will include cranes, dump trucks, excavators, bulldozers, rough terrain forklifts and container handlers.

http://www.armedforces-int.com/categories/mod-contracts/amey-lex-consortium-awarded-mod-contract.asp

The PFI system for plant also appears to be working with ALC delivering diggers alles uber (albeit bright yellow slightly untactical ones sometimes).

IIRC ALC can flog off any kit they do not need as long as they still meet commitments to the Army.

Hence diggers on big boys ebay!

It is an effort to cut costs without reducing performance.
It is yet to be determined if it will have an impact due to skill fade!

 

[roughytoughy]

We gave up 2 of these beasts to sales, most probably the one in the picture.They were hardley used and only realy good for airfield work. To move them was a logistical nightmare. Quite an awsome bit of kit coupled to the compactor. Would have thought they would have been of some use on Telic or Herric, as we could not understand why they were sold for a fraction of the origonal costs when they could have been put to good use overseas....then what do we know! probably more expensive to keep in the long run and PFI did not want them because of their size and the expense of out of guage moves ect.

 

[Humphrey_De_Tiluel]

From my limited knowlege of the PFI scheme I understood that the Armoured HWT was one of the few pieces of plant that was excluded from the scheme and remained in the ownership of the Army rather than ALC.

 

[ZXR-BIRD]

It may still be under the ownership of the Army but we still have to bid for AHWT through ALC.

 

[Priam]

Hmmm 3 votes, though nobody has stated their case!
Anyone out on OPs got anything to say?