Army trucks stopped in their tracks due to safety concerns
The army has restricted the use of almost 300 trucks because of safety concerns that their turrets could come loose.
The Canadian Forces is now in the process of fixing the problems on 287 of the trucks, known in the military as the Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled (LUVW).
The army has known about the problem since mid-2008 when soldiers at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, N.B., discovered one of their LUVW turrets had become loose.
In May 2010, the service put restrictions on the use of some of vehicles, stipulating they "may only be operated if authorized by area commanders for high priority activities, provided thorough weekly inspections are completed," noted army spokesman Maj. Martell Thompson.
The restrictions affect about a third of the LUVWs, also known as G-Wagons, currently in service.
Thompson pointed out that modifications to the vehicles are ongoing and are expected to be completed by March.
The LUVW fleet is heavily used for training in Canada by both regular force and reserve units, he added.
After the problem was first discovered, the army sent out messages outlining inspection procedures that take around four hours per vehicle.
An army source claimed the situation with the LUVWs was "no big deal."
But documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen point out that army units were "having difficulty completing the inspections, and in some cases have chosen to park vehicles as opposed to committing four hours per vehicle per week to inspection time. A considerable number of these vehicles belong to Primary Reserve Units."
"The restrictions will have some impact on training at the Reserve Armoured Reconnaissance units," the document added. "Measures are being considered to minimize the impact on training, such as pooling unaffected or modified vehicles at training bases."
Thompson said more than 700 vehicles in the LUVW fleet are unaffected and available for domestic operations, humanitarian missions and training.
The Defence Department in 2003 purchased 802 G-Wagons, as well as armour protection kits, from Mercedes-Benz Canada in a $130 million deal.
In 2004, it spent another $81 million to buy 357 more of the vehicles.
The current restriction on the G-Wagon does not significantly affect the Afghan mission, according to the military, as the LUVW is no longer used outside Kandahar airfield.
In 2006, the use of the LUVW in Afghanistan was restricted after a roadside bomb destroyed a G-Wagon north of Kandahar, killing four soldiers.
(Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)
The army has restricted the use of almost 300 trucks because of safety concerns that their turrets could come loose.
The Canadian Forces is now in the process of fixing the problems on 287 of the trucks, known in the military as the Light Utility Vehicle Wheeled (LUVW).
The army has known about the problem since mid-2008 when soldiers at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, N.B., discovered one of their LUVW turrets had become loose.
In May 2010, the service put restrictions on the use of some of vehicles, stipulating they "may only be operated if authorized by area commanders for high priority activities, provided thorough weekly inspections are completed," noted army spokesman Maj. Martell Thompson.
The restrictions affect about a third of the LUVWs, also known as G-Wagons, currently in service.
Thompson pointed out that modifications to the vehicles are ongoing and are expected to be completed by March.
The LUVW fleet is heavily used for training in Canada by both regular force and reserve units, he added.
After the problem was first discovered, the army sent out messages outlining inspection procedures that take around four hours per vehicle.
An army source claimed the situation with the LUVWs was "no big deal."
But documents obtained by the Ottawa Citizen point out that army units were "having difficulty completing the inspections, and in some cases have chosen to park vehicles as opposed to committing four hours per vehicle per week to inspection time. A considerable number of these vehicles belong to Primary Reserve Units."
"The restrictions will have some impact on training at the Reserve Armoured Reconnaissance units," the document added. "Measures are being considered to minimize the impact on training, such as pooling unaffected or modified vehicles at training bases."
Thompson said more than 700 vehicles in the LUVW fleet are unaffected and available for domestic operations, humanitarian missions and training.
The Defence Department in 2003 purchased 802 G-Wagons, as well as armour protection kits, from Mercedes-Benz Canada in a $130 million deal.
In 2004, it spent another $81 million to buy 357 more of the vehicles.
The current restriction on the G-Wagon does not significantly affect the Afghan mission, according to the military, as the LUVW is no longer used outside Kandahar airfield.
In 2006, the use of the LUVW in Afghanistan was restricted after a roadside bomb destroyed a G-Wagon north of Kandahar, killing four soldiers.
(Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act)
