Canadian military buys Gs
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Canadian military buys Gs
OTTAWA, March 4 (Reuters) - The Canadian government, under heavy fire for sending its troops into danger zones in aging jeeps, said on Thursday it was buying 802 German off-road utility vehicles for the armed forces.
A defense ministry spokeswoman said the G-Wagons -- built by DaimlerChrysler AG unit ((DCXGn.DE)) (DCX,Trade) Mercedes-Benz -- would cost C$126 million ($95 million). The four-seater vehicles will be delivered by the summer of 2004.
The G-Wagons will replace the armed forces' fleet of Iltis vehicles. Two Canadian soldiers in Kabul died last year when their Iltis hit a land mine, prompting critics to say that an armored vehicle might have provided more protection.
Mercedes-Benz said in a statement that Canada was also buying a minimum of 150 armored protection kits which could be fitted to the G-Wagons in a matter of hours.
"The kits ... (provide) protection against small arms ballistics, hand grenades and anti-personnel mines," said the defense ministry spokeswoman.
The first 60 vehicles will be deployed this month to Kabul, where some 2,000 Canadian soldiers are serving as part of a NATO-led stabilization force. Over 60,000 military G-wagons have been sold to NATO armies around the world.
"It's a proven, off-the-shelf light utility vehicle ... that makes it the vehicle of choice for military applications in armies around the world," said the spokeswoman.
A defense ministry spokeswoman said the G-Wagons -- built by DaimlerChrysler AG unit ((DCXGn.DE)) (DCX,Trade) Mercedes-Benz -- would cost C$126 million ($95 million). The four-seater vehicles will be delivered by the summer of 2004.
The G-Wagons will replace the armed forces' fleet of Iltis vehicles. Two Canadian soldiers in Kabul died last year when their Iltis hit a land mine, prompting critics to say that an armored vehicle might have provided more protection.
Mercedes-Benz said in a statement that Canada was also buying a minimum of 150 armored protection kits which could be fitted to the G-Wagons in a matter of hours.
"The kits ... (provide) protection against small arms ballistics, hand grenades and anti-personnel mines," said the defense ministry spokeswoman.
The first 60 vehicles will be deployed this month to Kabul, where some 2,000 Canadian soldiers are serving as part of a NATO-led stabilization force. Over 60,000 military G-wagons have been sold to NATO armies around the world.
"It's a proven, off-the-shelf light utility vehicle ... that makes it the vehicle of choice for military applications in armies around the world," said the spokeswoman.
