Thread: G wagon hopeless

Saw two of these high back hi-luxes [ I assume that's what they are] in Brisbane yesterday.







Surely they can't be serious Bob

Originally Posted by bob10

Surely they can't be serious Bob

Deadly Serious

DIY Weapons of the Libyan Rebels - In Focus - The Atlantic

Does the earlier comment fit with what I think I read somewhere that the reason LR didn't bid for the Aussie Army contract was the Army also wanted trucks which LR doesn't make, so it couldn't supply all the required vehicles. Is that right?

Originally Posted by bob10

Surely they can't be serious Bob

As Goingbush said, deadly serious.
And don't call him shirly

Originally Posted by newhue

Juddy where did you get this pic from,
Looks like the driver can only shoot over the bonnet and hopes the car really is unbreakable. Better still, how does the door open.

This unit is made by a UK Company with a set up in the Philippines, they do other stuff like armoured up grades etc.

Originally Posted by goingbush

Deadly Serious

DIY Weapons of the Libyan Rebels - In Focus - The Atlantic

Well, it shows a level of expertise you wouldn't expect from rag tag rebels. Deserters from Gadaffis army [ armourers? ] perhaps? Curious that the Russian UB32 rocket launcher has instructions in English. Amazing stuff, Bob

Originally Posted by robbotd5

Wouldn't it be funny if we were somehow at war with Germany again? Them buggers would know exactly how to take em out, come to think of it, they probably have got and undetectable explosive device fitted from the factory where they were made for that very reason. Times have changed so have a bit of fun. Sure it irks me the most because our army is buying vehicles from a former mortal enemy, but so do all the people who decide to own Jap cars. Just me..fire away!!!!
Regards
Robbo

There will never be a rerun as the Germans are too worried they would be teamed up with the Italians again. Thems lovers not fighters.

Looks ok here
12131010 G Wagon web clip - YouTube

Units have been replacing their Land Rover fleets with eight variants of the Mercedes Benz G-Wagon since July 2 2012, but this was the first opportunity for staff from the Project Land 121 Operator Training Facility to demonstrate the vehicles’ capabilities for guests.

Variants on display included the 4WD single-cab carryall and panel van, and dual-cab station wagons, as well as the 6x6 variants including the mobile command post and the surveillance and reconnaissance vehicle.

Project Land 121 will deliver 2146 unprotected G-Wagons, including specialist modules and 1799 Haulmark trailers, replacing about two thirds of the current Land Rover fleet over the next four years.

The G-Wagon rollout marks a significant milestone for the $7.5 billion venture known as Project Overlander, which will provide the next generation of the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) field vehicles and trailers.

Forty-one vehicles and 16 trailers have been delivered to Air Force units including 1 and 2AFDS and 144MCRU. For Army, 7th Brigade has already been issued with its initial allocation of 116 vehicles and 93 trailers.

Defence Material Organisation’s (DMO) Land 121 Phase 3A Project Director, Ken Butler, said the team had to meet all the different ADF capability requirements for a vehicle fleet and meld them into one solution that satisfied all users.

“The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon provides the ADF with a more modern, safe and capable vehicle,” he said.

“It’s all about providing soldiers and airmen and women with a better capability and these vehicles are a technological advancement on the older Land Rovers.

“One of the best features of the G-Wagon is the crew’s comfort and the operator’s positions.

“It’s better for the drivers because the vehicle is automatic, so they can now concentrate on the route selection and their situational awareness rather than worrying about changing gears.”

The G-Wagon provides current-generation technology and improved safety for drivers and passengers as a result of modern design features including enhanced roll-over protection and handling.

Other features in the off-the-shelf military vehicle, which is used by more than 60 armies worldwide, include electronic data-control units, which help the vehicle operate to its optimum potential, and onboard data collectors, which store the fleet management data.

All G-Wagons are hard-wired with communication cabling for antenna mounts and power supplies, and when delivered are fitted with radio mounting brackets that allow the operators to install their radios and connect their cables.

Officer Commanding Project Land 121 Training Team Major Tim Keeffe said the G-Wagon was a fantastic capability upgrade for the ADF.

“We can increase our payloads and the vehicle allows us to travel over harsher terrain than we could in the Land Rover with safety, comfort and reliability,” he said.

“It’s a modern vehicle which will sit on 100km/h on the highway easily for hour after hour and it has air conditioning and a selectable automatic transmission which makes driving very simple.

“If you had to drive from Darwin to Mt Bundey, would you rather do it in a Land Rover with canvas flapping around your ears, or in an automatic with air conditioning?”

“The end result of Land 121 is that Australia will have one of the best B-vehicle fleets in the world.”

As the Officer Commanding of the training team at Defence’s newest training facility at RAAF Base Amberley, Major Keeffe is responsible for managing conversion training for Army and Air Force drivers transitioning from Land Rover to G-Wagon.

The Land 121 training team is a collaboration between DMO and Army and Air Force HQs. The Land 121 Training Facility was purpose-built and includes two 24 person classrooms, a training compound with vehicle inspection ramps, an undercover training area and a large compound suitable for the medium and heavy trucks and trailers that will be a part of Land 121 Phase 3B.

More than 10,000 students will be trained over the next 10 years to help drivers have a greater understanding of the vehicle’s capabilities and limits and ensure they achieve the best levels of performance.

Major Keeffe said the plan was to develop a facility which would produce quality training immediately and be an enduring asset for Defence.

“The introduction to G-Wagon training started in April last year and will finish in December 2014, with close to 4200 students,” he said.

“The five-day conversion course teaches people how to operate the mission systems and understand the disparate parts of the vehicle, including the drive train, differential locks, trailer and module to orchestrate them into whatever effect they need.

“Students get a lot out of the comprehensive course package because driving the G-Wagon is very different to driving a Land Rover – it takes a different approach, mental attitude and skill set.”

Units receiving G-Wagons can conduct their own conversion training as soon as they have driver testing officers qualified to deliver the training management package.

A maintenance facility is being constructed at Bandiana, which will provide training for the life of the Land 121 project and be handed over to Army Logistic Training Center on the project’s completion.

Land Rovers will be phased out of the ADF by 2020, with most units being converted within the next five years, although 3rd Brigade will retain its Land Rover fleet until the light protected mobility vehicles – part of Land 121 Phase 4 – are delivered.

Originally published in Army News Ed 1290.