September
12, 2008: The Czech Republic is buying
fifteen Dingo 2 and fifteen MLV armored vehicles for its 500 troops in
Afghanistan. The Dingo 2 is a four wheeled, 12 ton, armored version of the
classic Mercedes-Benz UNIMOG truck series, and carries up to eight personnel.
Top speed is 90 kilometers per hour, and the armor protection can handle mines,
roadside bombs and small arms fire. The Dingo 2 is roughly similar in size and
capability to an armored hummer, but much heavier. The German Dingo is armed with a remote control (from inside
the vehicle) 7.62mm machine-gun. Israel, Austria and Germany have also ordered
Dingo 2s, which cost about half a million dollars each.
The Italian LMV is a 6.5 ton armored vehicle
similar to the hummer, but with many anti-mine and bomb features (V shaped
bottom, suspended seats and so on). It seats five and is designed to
accommodate a remote control gun turret.
The Czechs
bought four of each vehicle last year, to try out in Afghanistan, and were
pleased with the results.
