Nyala

[Sh0rtbUs]

There seems to be a fair amount of mention of Canadas purchase of the Nyala, but nothing official or recent.

Its confirmed (as most of you already know).

http://www.cbc.ca/calgary/story/ca_nyala20060126.html

Soldiers get new armoured vehicles in Afghanistan 
Last updated Jan 26 2006 09:36 AM MST
CBC News
Canadian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan will be getting a new fleet of military vehicles designed to provide extra protection to troops stationed in the war-ravaged country.

The addition of the 50 armoured patrol vehicles (known as the Nyala) come in the wake of a deadly attack in Afghanistan that killed a Canadian diplomat and seriously injured two soldiers and a medic.

Glyn Berry, political director of a reconstruction team in Afghanistan, was travelling in a Mercedes jeep when he was killed during an attack by a suicide bomber. He was 59.

FROM JAN. 25 2005: Wounded soldiers back home
Military officials say the new vehicles, en route from South Africa, are tougher than the G-Wagen model currently in use in Afghanistan.

Maj. Daryl Morrell, a spokesperson for the Department of National Defence in Ottawa, says the Nyala is slightly bigger and is outfitted with bullet resistant glass.

"Bearing that in mind we also have to realize that with enough explosive, you're going to be able to hurt any vehicle but these are certainly more robust than the G-Wagen," said Morrell.

The contract for the new fleet is $60 million.

Two Afghan civilians were also killed in the deadly explosion in January and at least nine Afghans were wounded.

The attack was the latest in a wave of suicide bombings that have plagued Afghanistan in recent months, some 15 in the last four months, aimed mainly at the US-led coalition and their NATO allies, but also at Afghan forces.

 

[Franko]

They should be getting on the ground...if they aren't already.

Regards

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I watched Global news at 11 tonight and it appeared to film them coming off the plane.....

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

I watched Global news at 11 tonight and it appeared to film them coming off the plane.....

I saw that as well. From what I gathered, they're training on them as we speak, and should be operating in a month.

 

[armchair]

There are Photo's of them been off loading in Afghanistan on The Combat Camera Website. Search Caption  Nyala 
It shows General Rick Hillier take one for a test drive
http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca/common/combatcamera/find_e.asp

 

[qjdb]

In regards to these pictures:

http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca/netpub/server.np?find&catalog=photos&template=detail_e.np&field=itemid&op=matches&value=6096&site=combatcamera

got it off of http://www.combatcamera.forces.gc.ca/netpub/server.np?find&defaultjoin=and&field=Keywords&op=contains&value=Afghanistan&field=Keywords&op=contains&value=nyala&field=Description&op=contains&value=nyala&site=combatcamera&catalog=photos&template=results_e.np&sorton=IPTC%20-%20DateCreated&ascending=0

Is it just me, or does the 'turret' (whatever it's called) hole look rather claustrophobic?  How easy is it to stick your body up through that hole?  Especially if wearing armour or even just the TV.

I don't know, I have never seen one before, but that hole just (from that picture, anyways) seems REALLY small.

Were the ones on the G-Wagens that small too?  Or the ones on the American Hummers?

Thanks in advance

qjdb

edit to PS:  note the dates on some of those pics?  Have we had these for a while?  Were we borrowing them from someone else or something?

 

[SweetNavyJustice]

I think they're a great purchase but I don't see why this is such huge news.  We had a couple of them in Kabul back on Roto 1!  They're not a new piece of kit for us, we just now have more of them. 

It's not that I'm against the purchase, I support anything that will keep the crews safe; I just don't see what the big deal is.

 

[a_majoor]

One reason the turret hole looks so small is a Nyala is extremely large; this is just a scale factor in the picture.

Regardless, the hole is a tight fit (particularly for people of the "Large" persuasion) for a number of reasons, the key one being the fewer and smaller openings you have in the armour envelope, the stronger (overall) the vehicle will be. This also explains why you don't see driver side doors in a Nyala, for example.

 

[043]

WRT the Nyala.

I spent 6 months in one on Roto 0 in Afganistan. Good vehicles.................however..............they are just good vehicles. There are many cons to them just like any other vehicle. While the troops in the back will be able to effectively cover there arcs, there movement within each observation opening (top of vehicle) will be extremely limited due to TacVest, Flak Jacket, etc. Dismounting, in a hurry if the vehicles is on fire will be extremely difficult as well. The tires are very susceptible to damage from the rugged terrain. Fuel is Afganistan is a problem and we had problems with it gelling therefore causing numerous breakdowns. It got to the point where the Nyala had to be stored in a heated structure in order to ensure that it worked the next day. This has probably been sorted because I haven't heard such complaints from any other Roto's. Mobility is another factor...............you are not going to get anywhere fast in a Nyala. Every little speed bump or bump in the road will shake the hell out of everything and everyone.  It is top heavy as well so it is probably a good thing your speed is limited. This vehicle is big!!!!!!!!! It can't turn on a dime and there were many routes within Kabul that it couldn't traffic.

All this being said, it is another platform that offers the commanders more options which is always good thing!

 

[043]

I think they're a great purchase but I don't see why this is such huge news.  We had a couple of them in Kabul back on Roto 1!  They're not a new piece of kit for us, we just now have more of them. 

It's not that I'm against the purchase, I support anything that will keep the crews safe; I just don't see what the big deal is.

Your right, it's not a big deal.

 

[Old FCS]

I spent 2 years on Op Athena.  I've seen the Nyala in operation, it's great.
It's predecessor the Mamba was said to be a widow maker but we haven’t lost any of their crews yet.
The SADF troops that work with me love the Nyala.
:tank: :tank:
My problem now is, I'm in the Sudan servicing CF supplied equipment and every time I order parts for Nyala, Darfur Region, Sudan the demands are kicked back because someone in Canada thinks I'm ordering parts for a Nyala.

Arte Et Marte

 

[GO!!!]

  note the dates on some of those pics?  Have we had these for a while?  Were we borrowing them from someone else or something?

The CF has had a slightly older version called the "Mamba" for several (at least 8) years now.

In the past, they were only used by engineers for proving routes, and occasionally for VIP tpt.

As far as I've heard, the Nyala will be used for patrolling by infantry and armour types due to the greater survivability of the vehicle if
it encounters an IED.

Various units in Iraq have operated this veh in Iraq since the invasion.

 

[qjdb]

Thank you for the clarification to a newb

qjdb

 

[Journeyman]

Our engineers had one, possibly two, in Kosovo (Roto1: 1999-2000), for proving routes. It was apparently a very good vehicle for that purpose, as no one was to travel off a cleared route - - ever.

Our snipers had been very useful at moving very slowly, carefully, and surreptitiously into positions of observation. They would stay in loc, reporting on high-value targets like "bad-guy" meeting-places, for several days. Needless to say, they were clearing their route in as they went.

About four months into the tour, OC Engrs heard of this, and leading with a "unionized" mentality, demanded the snipers walk in behind a Nyala/Mamba. Needless to say, useful employment of the snipers came to a halt and they essentially had a two-month vacation awaiting their end-tour date.

 

[GO!!!]

Journeyman,

Kingdom protecting?

Here?

In the CF?

Surely you jest....

 

[ringo]

Does the Nyala have portal axles?

 

[sabot41]

I understand the terrain is pretty difficult, anyone know or hear how the vehicle is holding up (suspension, etc) and would "tracks" serve better in this terrain vs wheeled?? I agreed with the original concept of using the Nyala for patrolling urban or built up areas, but it seems once again they are using wheeled vehicles for places they were never intended to be used.

 

[Armymatters]

I understand the terrain is pretty difficult, anyone know or hear how the vehicle is holding up (suspension, etc) and would "tracks" serve better in this terrain vs wheeled?? I agreed with the original concept of using the Nyala for patrolling urban or built up areas, but it seems once again they are using wheeled vehicles for places they were never intended to be used.

The Nyala is a distant cousin to the Daimler-Benz Unimog truck, and the Unimog was designed for offroading (ie. has portal axles for high ground clearance, which is higher than the Humvee, a flexible frame that allows the tires a wide range of vertical movement to allow the truck to comfortably drive over extremely uneven terrain, even over meter-high boulders).

I would say that the Nyala will hold its own in Afghanistan, due to its design heritage, and the design intent by the engineers.

edit: retracted some of the statements in response to Wallace's post.

 

[George Wallace]

The Nyala is a distant cousin to the Daimler-Benz Unimog truck, and the Unimog was designed for offroading (ie. has portal axles for high ground clearance, which is higher than the Humvee, a flexible frame that allows the tires a wide range of vertical movement to allow the truck to comfortably drive over extremely uneven terrain, even over meter-high boulders). For the original role the vehicles were used in, namely route proving, tracks are a liability as if you drive over a mine in a tracked vehicle and the track gets severed, you have a mobility kill until engineers get on site to fix the track, while with wheeled vehicles, depending on the configuration (4x4 or 8x8, etc) and the circumstances (what type of mine was hit), it can either drive away or is a quick wheel change that can be done by the crew. Only in the most severe cases does the vehicle need engineers to arrive to remove the vehicle.

OK

Armymatters

I have to call you on this.  Engineers do not have to get on site to 'fix' the track - the crew or Maintainers can do that.  Wheeled vehicles would fair no better, and in most cases will fair worse, than tracked vehicles, and also, it is not a "quick wheel change that can be done by the crew" in the case of a mine strike, IED, VBIED, or whatever.  This time the Maintainers will have to do the repairs.  In all cases of a mine strike, IED, VBIED, or any such occasion, the Engineers will be involved in 'clearing the area' so that the Maintainers can safely recover the vehicle.  The Engineers do not repair or recover vehicles.

Once again, please do not talk about things you know nothing about.

 

[Armymatters]

OK

Armymatters

I have to call you on this.  Engineers do not have to get on site to 'fix' the track - the crew or Maintainers can do that.  Wheeled vehicles would fair no better, and in most cases will fair worse, than tracked vehicles, and also, it is not a "quick wheel change that can be done by the crew" in the case of a mine strike, IED, VBIED, or whatever.  This time the Maintainers will have to do the repairs.  In all cases of a mine strike, IED, VBIED, or any such occasion, the Engineers will be involved in 'clearing the area' so that the Maintainers can safely recover the vehicle.  The Engineers do not repair or recover vehicles.

Once again, please do not talk about things you know nothing about.

You called and you are correct. I am retracting most of my statements. I was pre-occupied by writing a report while writing that.