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More Awesome Releases by Accurate Armour
WarWheels
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Illinois, United States
Joined: March 24, 2006
KitMaker: 1,816 posts
Armorama: 1,402 posts
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 05:10 AM UTC
We have some major hobby modeling items news today. WarWheels.Net sponsor Accurate Armour has announced a bunch of exciting 1/35 WFV model kits, including the following vehicles:

Jackal- 1 4x4 SRV (K176);

Jackal-2 4x4 SRV (K177)

Coyote 6x6 TSV (Light) (K178)

Tangi RUC 110 Armoured Land Rover (LR010)

Snatch (CAV100 N.I.) Armoured Land Rover (LR015)

Even in this tough economy, I'll be opening up my wallet for most of these items.
KJA
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England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 26, 2006
KitMaker: 28 posts
Armorama: 28 posts
Posted: Thursday, September 17, 2009 - 11:19 AM UTC
Cool a snatch eh? I'll be able to build the only armoured vehicle I ever drove when I was in the army. We used to drive around in N Ireland thinking we were indestructible, then they took them to Iraq and we realised they were a pile of poo!
WarWheels
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Illinois, United States
Joined: March 24, 2006
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Posted: Friday, September 18, 2009 - 01:55 AM UTC

Quoted Text

We used to drive around in N Ireland thinking we were indestructible, then they took them to Iraq and we realised they were a pile of poo!



I've heard similar comments about the Snatch being a "dog". However, from what I've also heard they worked well within their capabilities; countering IED's not being one of those. The HMMWV also were similarily challenged, even the armoured versions. I'm not trying to question your assessment as you served in the Snatch and I haven't, but I am definitely trying to figure out the "truth".

OR, was the Snatch Rover just a dog, even considering everything?
KJA
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England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 26, 2006
KitMaker: 28 posts
Armorama: 28 posts
Posted: Friday, September 18, 2009 - 05:06 AM UTC
Hi Pat, you're right really. For the job it was designed to do, ie not look too aggressive and provide a reasonble level of protection against small arms, it was fine. It had a decent engine (Landrover 3.5 V8) and was easy to drive, especially if you were used to normal military landrovers. Having been in several crowd control situations in a snatch, where we were facing petrol bombs and perhaps the occasional firearm, the snatch was fine.

As you've rightly said, it wasn't designed to stand up to the massive roadside IEDs and suicide car bombs that have been encountered in Iraq and Afghanistan. The simple fact is that the British Gov't went into Iraq in 2003 thinking that once Saddam was toppled that would be the end of it. In Sierra Leone in 2000 and in the early days of Op Telic the British were patrolling in soft skin open top rovers quite happily. They weren't at all prepared for the insurgency that occured after Saddam.

In 2003 I was still in the Army and in N. Ireland. We had two Snatches in the Signal Squadron that I was in, and one of them was commandeered for use in Iraq. In my opinion the deployment of Snatch to Iraq should only ever have been a stop-gap until better vehicles were available. It's appalling that it's taken 5 years to get stuff like Mastiff and upgrades to Warrior and Challenger.

I was going to rant a bit more, but I think I'll shut up now
WarWheels
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Illinois, United States
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Posted: Friday, September 18, 2009 - 08:40 AM UTC

Quoted Text

The simple fact is that the British Gov't went into Iraq in 2003 thinking that once Saddam was toppled that would be the end of it.



Thanks for the info and insight Ken. Regarding your comment quoted above, I don't think you Brits were the only government that missed that prediction.

I could replace all of your references to the landy and British Government with HMMWV and US Government, and we'd not know the difference.

In the chance that you have any Snatch photos you can share with us, I'd really like to see them. In fact, I'd love to get some for WarWheels for posting as well.
KJA
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England - South West, United Kingdom
Joined: January 26, 2006
KitMaker: 28 posts
Armorama: 28 posts
Posted: Friday, September 18, 2009 - 09:04 AM UTC
Sorry Pat, I don't have any pics at all. Our Snatches were kitted out with 'ahem' sensitive equipment inside. We spent most of our time wearing civvy clothes and in civvy vehicles, so you understand it wasn't really the type of environment where you took photos.

In fact the only photo I've got of my time out there is when I managed to put one of our twin-cab pick ups in a ditch! That would make a great diorama, one of the Mig twin cabs being rescued by a Snatch with a bunch of highly amused infantrymen taking the mick out of two daft scaleybacks.

I used to own a book called Combat Land Rovers Portfolio 1, by Bob Morrison. This had a good article on the Snatch in Bosnia and NI, as well as WMIK wolves and SAS DPVs in Sierra Leone and lots of other interesting landies. Sadly I sold most of my reference collection on ebay to fund my degree course.

- Edited to correct title of book, they have them on Amazon.co.uk for about a tennner
WarWheels
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Illinois, United States
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Armorama: 1,402 posts
Posted: Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 11:17 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Sorry Pat, I don't have any pics at all. Our Snatches were kitted out with 'ahem' sensitive equipment inside. We spent most of our time wearing civvy clothes and in civvy vehicles, so you understand it wasn't really the type of environment where you took photos.



I DEFINITELY understand. Sorry for asking. I hope you don't have to kill me now...

Thanks for the info on the Combat Landys book. I'll have to find that one.
seb43
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Paris, France
Joined: August 30, 2005
KitMaker: 2,315 posts
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Posted: Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 11:52 AM UTC
Patrick
Do you have pics or you are going to send all the info to Jim for a "real" post on the news forum, because this thread will rapidly disappear ??

tanks anyway that's good news

thanks for sharing

Seb
WarWheels
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Illinois, United States
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Posted: Saturday, September 19, 2009 - 01:43 PM UTC
Sorry to say, I have no photos yet. The news comes from AA's website.

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