While driving through a mighty Great American Desert last night I was listening to Drudge (only one station to be had you see…) and he was exclaiming his wonderment at why the ABC anchorman would be riding in a ‘lightly armored Soviet manufacture mechanized vehicle.’ He also made some comment about how he would be in a US Hummer, if it were his choice, after all that mech. vehicle was only lightly armored.
Hate to break it to everyone but the best Hummer is only lightly armored (one med. sized engine can only push so much armor, its not like a Bradley fighting Vehicle engine that puts out over 400 horse) and I would pretty much take any mech. vehicle over a wheeled one any day. I’ve got to admit the only real experience I’ve had with Sov. stuff were burned out hulks but still, having the track between me and the IED is a no brainer. Now, riding in the front vehicle CAN be a little more risky, but hey, its a war zone.
I heard Drudge last night too and he sounded like an idiot.
I don’t trust the media to get anything right about the military but for what it’s worth on ABC last night they had a picture of what they said was the type of vehicle he was in. It looked like a soviet MTLB which is an APC. I would put it in the armor category of an American M113. The problem seemed to be that thy were standing up in the hatch and exposed, not that the armor was inadequate.
As Drudge often does he asked a lot of pointed questions but didn’t have any answers. He was asking why he was in an Iraqi vehicle and implied that someone screwed up. I bet he was there because he requested to ride with them.
The story I got was that he had requested the iraqi vehicle mid-patrol to, possibly, enhance the story. Too bad that he was sitting up exposed (and the cam man outside riding on the hull?) just to get the story. You make one good point, and once I thought about it I bet you’re right, the armor wasn’t breeched, he simply got shrapnel flying 'round.
The story I got was that he had requested the iraqi vehicle mid-patrol to, possibly, enhance the story. Too bad that he was sitting up exposed (and the cam man outside riding on the hull?) just to get the story. You make one good point, and once I thought about it I bet you’re right, the armor wasn’t breeched, he simply got shrapnel flying 'round.