KATHMANDU: Sixty-three Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) that the Nepal Army (NA) has received to be used for UN Peace Missions have been found to be ‘evidently useless’.
The Chinese APCs, which have been brought for peacekeeping purposes, including by the Nepal Army, in the worn-torn areas have been ‘technically’ ineffective to protect from rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attacks, NA personnel have complained.
Sources have claimed that these APCs bought from China have not been used and are currently ‘stored’ at the Chhauni-based army barrack.
“The APCs were actually not built to be used in combat zones,” the source said adding, “APCs to be used in combat zones should not have a flat underside. It should be v-shaped so that it does not overturn in case hit by a land mine.”
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Security experts and army personnel have raised their voices demanding an investigation as to why these ‘inefficient’ APCs have been brought by spending over 230 RMB (Rs 3.747 Billion) in August 2019.
Due to the inefficiency of the APCs, including the anti-aircraft machine guns, the NA peacekeepers hesitate to use them in the war-torn areas, army sources have said.
However, it has been mentioned in the APCs-VN-4 that the “armor is welded shut and primarily provides protection from small arms fire and splinters from explosives”.
Sources have also claimed that these armored personnel carriers that Kenya bought from China in 2016 to protect personnel from improvised explosive device (IED) attacks and landmine are evidently useless against rocket-propelled grenade (RPG).
Meanwhile, the case is no different when it comes to aircraft brought from China. The Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has brought six aircraft from China. While four are Y-12E, two are MA-60 out of which one Y12E and one MA60 have been received as grants from China. The rest four have been purchased by the Nepal government.
It should be noted that Kenya, too, had bought 30 VN-4s from China in 2016 for an unspecified amount that was deployed to the General Service Unit and Anti Stock Theft Unit.
It also purchased additional Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles which were deployed to the Border Patrol Unit.
The VN4 is manufactured by the Chinese Defense Company Norinco in China. It comes with an open-roof small turret placed at the front top hull and is armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun.
According to reports, they are mounted with three smoke grenade dischargers on each side of the turret. VN4s can carry up to 10 crew.
Kenya, meanwhile, is to receive about six new US-made light attack helicopter gunships by December, according to a US manufacturer.
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