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Land Rover

The BBC reports that

Four families of servicemen killed in Snatch Land Rovers in Iraq and Afghanistan are to sue the Ministry of Defence, the BBC has learned.

They claim the vehicles are too lightly armoured to cope with the weapons used against them and that the MoD was negligent in allowing their use.

However, the MoD maintains the vehicles are vital equipment and suitable for the jobs they must perform.

Since 2003, some 37 UK personnel have been killed while using the vehicles.

It has been obvious for some time that many of the vehicles that have been used in Iraq and Afghanistan were not “fit for purpose”. Why, as the MOD says they are “suitable”, are there still members of our Armed Forces being killed in them. If they were “suitable” there would have been few, if any, deaths.

Last year, the then Defence Secretary, John Hutton, ruled out a public inquiry into their use and announced plans to spend £700m on new, upgraded vehicles. Let us see if his “unfit for pupose” replacement “slow bob” Ainsworth has any better ideas. We may be waiting some time.

BBC NEWS | UK | Families to sue for forces deaths.

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4. Does Gordon have the courage to Ride in "Snatch" Land Rover.
5. No Let Up in Afghanistan for our Armed Forces