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This in today....
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/diggers-call-in-airstrike-on-own-vehicle/story-e6frfku0-1225841775322
Diggers call in airstrike on own vehicle
From: AAP March 17, 2010 11:15AM
AUSTRALIAN troops in Afghanistan have been forced to call in an air strike on one of their own vehicles after it was crippled by an insurgent improvised explosive device.
Soldiers in the vehicle were shaken but unhurt in the insurgent blast which immobilised the vehicle, The West Australian newspaper has reported.
Commander of all Australian forces in Afghanistan Major General John Cantwell said insurgents hit a joint force of Australian and Afghan security forces as they conducted a patrol in a remote area of Oruzgan province on Monday.
Afghan security forces walking nearby received only minor wounds in the blast.
Insurgents then opened fire.
Australian officers decided it was best to evacuate the Bushmaster and destroy it rather than risk lives and equipment trying to retrieve the badly damaged vehicle.
It was stripped of all sensitive equipment.
Soldiers withdrew a safe distance and it was obliterated by a pair of bombs dropped by a coalition aircraft.
It is just the second time in Afghanistan that Australian forces have been forced to destroy rather than extract a damaged vehicle.
Major General Cantwell said it was not possible to save the Australian-made vehicle because of the difficult terrain and risk to lives.
"The longer they stayed on the ground the more vulnerable they were going to be to insurgent fire," he said.
"It shook them up a bit, but happily they were uninjured."
---------------------------
Wonder what a Bushmaster is?
I took a pic of one we had tasked for us late last year....
Regards,
OWDU
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/diggers-call-in-airstrike-on-own-vehicle/story-e6frfku0-1225841775322
Diggers call in airstrike on own vehicle
From: AAP March 17, 2010 11:15AM
AUSTRALIAN troops in Afghanistan have been forced to call in an air strike on one of their own vehicles after it was crippled by an insurgent improvised explosive device.
Soldiers in the vehicle were shaken but unhurt in the insurgent blast which immobilised the vehicle, The West Australian newspaper has reported.
Commander of all Australian forces in Afghanistan Major General John Cantwell said insurgents hit a joint force of Australian and Afghan security forces as they conducted a patrol in a remote area of Oruzgan province on Monday.
Afghan security forces walking nearby received only minor wounds in the blast.
Insurgents then opened fire.
Australian officers decided it was best to evacuate the Bushmaster and destroy it rather than risk lives and equipment trying to retrieve the badly damaged vehicle.
It was stripped of all sensitive equipment.
Soldiers withdrew a safe distance and it was obliterated by a pair of bombs dropped by a coalition aircraft.
It is just the second time in Afghanistan that Australian forces have been forced to destroy rather than extract a damaged vehicle.
Major General Cantwell said it was not possible to save the Australian-made vehicle because of the difficult terrain and risk to lives.
"The longer they stayed on the ground the more vulnerable they were going to be to insurgent fire," he said.
"It shook them up a bit, but happily they were uninjured."
---------------------------
Wonder what a Bushmaster is?
I took a pic of one we had tasked for us late last year....
Regards,
OWDU
