Europe News

German trucks said not tough enough for Afghanistan

Nov 18, 2007, 12:23 GMT

Berlin - The German Army is to stop using a troop-carrying truck in Afghanistan after breakdowns on that nation's stony roads, according to a news report Sunday.

The newspaper Welt am Sonntag said the Defence Ministry had confirmed to an opposition politician that the 28 Mungo trucks, which are made by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), would be brought home.

The suspension and axles of the Mungo, a four-wheel truck with armoured sides that can carry platoons, have been criticized as not robust enough.

The Mungos had not proved practical in Afghanistan, according to the ministry.

The trucks were sent of Afghanistan to offer German soldiers better protection from stray bullets than the 283 smaller, jeep-style Mercedes Wolf cars which are the main motor vehicle used as a runabout by the German peacekeepers.l