This is potentially very good news. With the US withdrawing from Afghanistan this year, Pakistan is very interested in obtaining the MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) troop transport vehicles that the US will be leaving behind. These are of very little effectiveness in a conventional war, but are very well suited to protection from the kind of IEDs the TTP have been using.
The US is reluctant to hand them over to the Afghan army because its future is not viewed as being politically reliable, while Pakistan is the only country that can collect the leftover vehicles in a cost-effective manner.
The US has already offered to give awy the 1,600 MRAPs in Afghanistan for free to any country that wants them, but the customer has to pay to remove them from Afghanistan. All other countries that were interested were put off by the immense cost of transferring out of Pakistan.
Re: Pakistan eyes excess US military equipment in Afghanistan
Well it can be used as a defensive measure against an indian attack, so their lobby would not want Pakistan to get it. Lets see what happens.
Hopefuly, another salala or raymond davis doesn't happen because I was reading an author who was saying that our (US) relationship ruptured so much with Pakistan in 2011 that we were taking away night vision goggles and assault rifles when Pakistan was and is still in a war with taliban.
I hope that they are in good conditions but they should be good as US had to come up with rather unique solutions for afghan topography unlike Iraq's flat desert where tonnage is not a concern.
Re: Pakistan eyes excess US military equipment in Afghanistan
The US would require approximately $7 billion to destroy its excess military hardware in Afghanistan. Pakistan should eagerly look into getting as much material as possible as mot of the equipment is counter-insurgency related which we require badly. Though MRAPs would be required to go through maintenance work, it would still be better to go for the deal as we saw what happened to indigenous and China-made armoured vehicles in Karachi.
Re: Pakistan eyes excess US military equipment in Afghanistan
More likely that they will stay in Afghanistan, once the new gov't signs the BSA after the election. Pakistani army is the last institution that the US will trust in the future due to its double dealing.
Re: Pakistan eyes excess US military equipment in Afghanistan
Well it can be used as a defensive measure against an indian attack, so their lobby would not want Pakistan to get it. Lets see what happens.
That's the attractive part - in a conventional war they are of little additional benefit than a regular truck - they aren't as armoured as an APC. Their entire benefit comes from their heavy underarmour, which defeats IED attacks. So it is unlikely that India's lobby will push back hard either.
Re: Pakistan eyes excess US military equipment in Afghanistan
What about Imran and Pakistan pro-Taliban deobandi brigades?
Imran would say that taking and using American weapons to fight Kharjees would be same as fighting American war against Imran's own people.
Pro-Taliban deobandi brigades would issue fatwa that these equipments are used to kill Muslims and thus are Kafir equipments. If Pakistan army would induct them then it would make Pakistan army, army of Kafirs.
Re: Pakistan eyes excess US military equipment in Afghanistan
If that begging means more Pakistani soldiers will survive IED attacks then I will be first in line to beg.
American army disposes off a lot of diapers after first use. Pakistani soldiers can take them from americans, wash them and use them so they wont be killed when peeing in battlefileds.
Beggars always have excuses.
Re: Pakistan eyes excess US military equipment in Afghanistan
American army disposes off a lot of diapers after first use. Pakistani soldiers can take them from americans, wash them and use them so they wont be killed when peeing in battlefileds.
Beggars always have excuses.
So you rather see more Pakistanis dead. Well done.
Re: Pakistan eyes excess US military equipment in Afghanistan
Pressurecooker bombs and manual operated clip bombs have made the utility of these MRAP as useless. Now US is only using these in combination with jammers to work.
