How very british! :D

[Andeh13]

I am bored at work (slow day) so researching various bits on wikipedia. I moved onto tanks and found this regarding the Challenger 2....

Like every British tank since the Centurion, and most other British AFVs, Challenger 2 contains a boiling vessel (BV) also known as a kettle or bivvie for water which can be used to brew tea, produce other hot beverages and heat boil-in-the-bag meals contained in ration packs.[7] This BV requirement is general for armoured vehicles of the British Armed Forces, and is almost unique to the armed forces of the UK.

I love it, we equip all our armoured fighting vehicles with a kettle to produce tea, how very civilised...right chaps, time to bring democracy to those barbirans!

[Lucio]

I suspect that it's the latter, being able to heat boil in the bag meals, that sees it's primary use. Still good for moral, and possibly the only useful thing those Landrovers can do

[peterb]

An army marches on its stomach! But as Lucio says, using hot water to reconstitute ration packs or heat boil in the bag rations without leaving the safety of the tank and so maintaining operational readiness has certain advantages!

[jim]

Enemy spotted, 5000 yards, closing. Prepare main gun, two sugars, primary target moving southwards from original position, keep tracking. Ready to fire in 3... 2... ooh nice brew Steve, cheers... fire!!

I suspect I'm now unable of envisioning a tank without all of the crew carefully sipping on tea whilst bouncing around sand dunes at high speed.

[kopite]

I always remember asterix comes to britain. A big war scene and the british army all stopped at 3pm because it was tea time

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I suspect I'm now unable of envisioning a tank without all of the crew carefully sipping on tea whilst bouncing around sand dunes at high speed.

Don't be silly........






















.......they may drop their cups of tea and who would clean up the mess?!

[Flibb]

I believe the Yanks purchased a bunch of the boilers to use with their armoured vehicles, once they had used up the available cooking fuel their crews soon got fed up with cold rations. British vehicles were renowned for being used as mobile kitchens and hot food was appreciated by troops on a cold winter night.

Although not in the forces a close friend was, my own contribution was limited to making the tank battle sights.

As to landrovers, still used by many forces around the world, including US Path finders, only when used outside of the design remit are they a problem. To counteract the use of IEDs electronic detection systems were used on the light armoured LRs, limited procurement of these was named as a contributing factor in the death of many soldiers. Even the heaviest armour vehicles have been lost to IEDs, and in many cases a lightweight vehicle is preferable due to increased speed, off road ability, and they dont set off anti tank mines.

[j.col]

i am a bit of a history buff, and i didn't know that.
only in britain

[Tumble]

In the WWI museum in Albert, France - (on the Somme), they have some British BVs on display. The modern ones look VERY similar