MPEV, the high speed backhoe
- Thread starter Matt_Fisher
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Good to see that some progress has been made on this project. It has been a while. I am a great fan of our Sappers: I don't blame you guys for the fiasco over us losing Pioneers. (You guys didn't have anything to do with that--right?......Right?) so I'm happy to see you get new gear.
Back in the days when we still had Pioneers :rage:, I was involved in assisting with what we then called the "Rapid Digger" project. The idea was to give the Inf coys an ability to get under cover quickly in most types of terrain, with a relatively simple and robust machine that did not require a FEE Op to use. A number of systems were trialled, including things such as the US Unimog (still in US service here in Afgh), different FELs, Bobcat-type vehs, etc.
We were on a Brigade winter ex in Chilcoten (OK-you see how far back I'm talking about......?) and in the rifle coy of which I was 2IC we had two different RD prototypes attached. They were both commercial FELs. One of them was useless, but the second one we tried was very impressive. It had better winter off-road than our Grizzlies (OK-I know that's not saying much to any Boat People out there...), it could pull a very respectable dead weight, and it could manouevre welll. Unfortunately, due to the extreme cold and very rocky terrain in the Chilcoten we didn't do too much digging. Actually I used the vehicle mostly to pull Grizzlies out of the snow, and to clear hide positions, which it did well. Given the proliferation of rockets, mortars and even towed artillery in the hands of every gang of bad-asses in the world today, and the focus on urban ops with the street rubble problem it makes sense us Inf to have our own RD, so we dont don't to wait for the very busy Sappers to help us out. But then, it made sense for us to have Pioneers, too. Sigh. :crybaby: Cheers.
Back in the days when we still had Pioneers :rage:, I was involved in assisting with what we then called the "Rapid Digger" project. The idea was to give the Inf coys an ability to get under cover quickly in most types of terrain, with a relatively simple and robust machine that did not require a FEE Op to use. A number of systems were trialled, including things such as the US Unimog (still in US service here in Afgh), different FELs, Bobcat-type vehs, etc.
We were on a Brigade winter ex in Chilcoten (OK-you see how far back I'm talking about......?) and in the rifle coy of which I was 2IC we had two different RD prototypes attached. They were both commercial FELs. One of them was useless, but the second one we tried was very impressive. It had better winter off-road than our Grizzlies (OK-I know that's not saying much to any Boat People out there...), it could pull a very respectable dead weight, and it could manouevre welll. Unfortunately, due to the extreme cold and very rocky terrain in the Chilcoten we didn't do too much digging. Actually I used the vehicle mostly to pull Grizzlies out of the snow, and to clear hide positions, which it did well. Given the proliferation of rockets, mortars and even towed artillery in the hands of every gang of bad-asses in the world today, and the focus on urban ops with the street rubble problem it makes sense us Inf to have our own RD, so we dont don't to wait for the very busy Sappers to help us out. But then, it made sense for us to have Pioneers, too. Sigh. :crybaby: Cheers.
McG
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I know some old 042s that think the Hy Eqpt Op Crse should be a prerequisit for MPEV training. I'm not convinced that it cannot be taught on its own. The reserves are able to run a tractor & dump course that uses a backhoe. Why couldn't we teach MPEV on its own?CHIMO!!!!! said:
You should have seen thier eyes roll when I turned it around and suggested MPEV be used as a prerequisit to the Hy Eqpt course. At the very least, it would screen out anyone who could not operate.
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McG
The MPEV will be taught in the new Hy eqpt op crse. We are so short operators now that I agree that we should have it's own crse and any one with a Dvr wheel crse and air brake could go on it. We need to change the QS for the Hy Eqpt op crse so that it is just HLVW and not HESV dump. We can teach HESV after the Hy crse you dont need it. It takes to long for use to qualify some one as an operator first if they have a DVR wheel and then an air brake one year. Then the next year they get HLVW and maybe they're HESV that is two years and then maybe the next is their operator crse. that is 2 to 3 years to get a basic operator trained. CFSME need to change they crse's.
CFSME teaching only one crane , one grader, one Hy op crse, and excavator a year. The school was teaching two 042 5A in Chilliwack with 18 on a crse. Now they are down to one crse with 12 sudents a year. We lost 16 operators since 2001 in my unit alone and when we send someone on crse then promote that operator and will probable not see another piece of kit ever. We will never catch up to a resonable number again.
The MPEV will be taught in the new Hy eqpt op crse. We are so short operators now that I agree that we should have it's own crse and any one with a Dvr wheel crse and air brake could go on it. We need to change the QS for the Hy Eqpt op crse so that it is just HLVW and not HESV dump. We can teach HESV after the Hy crse you dont need it. It takes to long for use to qualify some one as an operator first if they have a DVR wheel and then an air brake one year. Then the next year they get HLVW and maybe they're HESV that is two years and then maybe the next is their operator crse. that is 2 to 3 years to get a basic operator trained. CFSME need to change they crse's.
CFSME teaching only one crane , one grader, one Hy op crse, and excavator a year. The school was teaching two 042 5A in Chilliwack with 18 on a crse. Now they are down to one crse with 12 sudents a year. We lost 16 operators since 2001 in my unit alone and when we send someone on crse then promote that operator and will probable not see another piece of kit ever. We will never catch up to a resonable number again.
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