From: BAWILL01@UKCC.UKY.EDU Date: Wed, 08 Feb 95 10:15:54 EST Subject: U.S. Army Land-RoversFor those interested, in the 29 December 1992 edition of "The Times" (London) an article appeared entitled "Land Rover Wins Order For 48 Special Operations Vehicles From US Army." The article, located on page 4D, includes a rather nice photo of the model as well as an explanation as to why the Yanks wanted the Land Rovers and what was modified upon them for this role. Most major universities subscribe to The Times and your best hope of finding this article is to check the microfilm archives since most institutions do not yet have the newspaper on CD-ROM.
Subject: us rangers 110's From: rc@fourfold.ocunix.on.ca (Robin Craig) Date: Thu, 09 Feb 95 21:40:29 -0500There has been a lot of chat about hummers vs 110's. Let's get a few things straight here. there are horses for courses and there is the right tool for the job. The Rangers are an air mobile unit and any such unit has WEIGHT and SIZE as a big consideration. For those of you who care to listen the US Forces have been using Land Rovers, Range Rovers, Shorland SB401's, Defender 130's in various parts of the world for various reasons. In the UK they were at pains to blend and subsequently drove vehicles with British Forces licence plates and markings. In Turkey the US has used Land Rover products for a number of years now. The Rangers were looking for a vehicle that would stow into their current airlift inventory and future aircraft in years to come. The 110 offered a proven light weight airportable compact vehicle. In the SOV role that the rangers use them for they can get at least 7 persons in a fully tooled up 110. It is equiped with a weapons ring that can take just about any weapon you consider to name. Using devices such as on the 110 Hi-Cap patrol vehicles weapons platforms the suspension is locked out for really big calibre weapons. The 110 SOV was intended for quick in and out operations over relatively short distances but need the kind of mobility that the smaller 110 offers while being able to be underslung to a number of aircraft or inside others.
The Hummer is a designed vehicle in a different class to the 110. It is very heavy and not as manouerverable as the 110 and not take to kind of fit that the SOV does, they just dont compare for the role, and that is the long and the short of it.
Every vehicle that I know of can get stuck, even 110's. A lot has to do with the pink computer behind the wheel if the truth be known. I have pictures of 110's bogged in the Gulf, so what! See my point. As one who has driven a Hummer off road I take my hat off to the designers, it does a job, not all jobs. Every vehicle has its limitations and this is why the Rangers bought the lighter 110's.
Robin Craig
From: ScottFugate_Group8@ctdvns1.ctd.ornl.gov Date: Mon, 30 Oct 95 12:29:35 EST[...] reports to me a sighting of the Ranger Battalion's Land Rovers at Fort Benning, GA. He conveys that they are being run topless and without windshields, the driver and passengers wearing helmet and goggles. They are equipped with a roll cage that also serves as a weapons mount for a .50 caliber machine gun or the Mk 19 fully automatic 40 mm grenade launcher. He also thinks there is a version that sports some type of "tank killer" weaponry such as the TOW or DRAGON, or recoilless rifle or something. That's the cool part, but get this - The Rangers call these vehicles "gun Jeeps". Ughhhh!
He's trying to get me a picture. I'm going to be tracking surplus sales real closely in 8 or 10 years!
Scott Fugate