Belgium's upgraded APCs can only be driven by small people
- 4 years ago
BRUSSELS — It looks like the Belgian army's latest tank upgrade forgot to take into account that people would need to fit inside them.
According to the BBC, drivers or gunners of the new and maybe not-so-improved Pandur must be shorter than 5'7'' to fit in the armored vehicle.
This is great because Belgium is one of the tallest countries in the world.
The upgrade program for the Pandurs has a budget of $34 million, but all is well since the Belgium Ministry of Defense says it only spent $1.9 million of it so far.
Citing Belgium's broadcaster VRT, the BBC reports that Belgium bought the Pandurs from Austria in 1966.
Belgium has been trying to modernize the aging Pandurs for military operations, including a planned deployment to Mali in 2021.
The Brussels Times reports the upgrades included extra armor, air conditioning and raised floors to protect troops from IEDs.
The upgrades might have made the Pandur safer, but apparently, you have to be Tom Cruise size to actually drive them.
Citing VRT, the BBC says the upgrades make steering and braking a "nuisance, and that the tall floor makes it hard to get in or out of the Pandur."
That is a very bad thing for when your ride is on fire.
According to BBC, Admiral Yves Dupont told the local press that the upgrades weren't finished.
He also said it's not unusual for armor crew to be restricted to being 5'7" tall, which is technically true if you are in a Russian antique.
However, Belgium's MP Wouter de Vriendt isn't buying any of this and tweeted that the Pandur upgrade was a "fiasco" and that the Pandur "could not be used."
In the meantime...Belgium is now looking for a few good men—short ones though.
According to the BBC, drivers or gunners of the new and maybe not-so-improved Pandur must be shorter than 5'7'' to fit in the armored vehicle.
This is great because Belgium is one of the tallest countries in the world.
The upgrade program for the Pandurs has a budget of $34 million, but all is well since the Belgium Ministry of Defense says it only spent $1.9 million of it so far.
Citing Belgium's broadcaster VRT, the BBC reports that Belgium bought the Pandurs from Austria in 1966.
Belgium has been trying to modernize the aging Pandurs for military operations, including a planned deployment to Mali in 2021.
The Brussels Times reports the upgrades included extra armor, air conditioning and raised floors to protect troops from IEDs.
The upgrades might have made the Pandur safer, but apparently, you have to be Tom Cruise size to actually drive them.
Citing VRT, the BBC says the upgrades make steering and braking a "nuisance, and that the tall floor makes it hard to get in or out of the Pandur."
That is a very bad thing for when your ride is on fire.
According to BBC, Admiral Yves Dupont told the local press that the upgrades weren't finished.
He also said it's not unusual for armor crew to be restricted to being 5'7" tall, which is technically true if you are in a Russian antique.
However, Belgium's MP Wouter de Vriendt isn't buying any of this and tweeted that the Pandur upgrade was a "fiasco" and that the Pandur "could not be used."
In the meantime...Belgium is now looking for a few good men—short ones though.