Use of Vikings questioned after British commander and soldier are killed, but analysts say size of Taliban bombs surprises military Former army officers have today defended the decision to deploy Viking vehicles to southern Afghanistan as the Ministry of Defence began investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a senior commander and a soldier . Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe and Trooper Joshua Hammond were killed yesterday when their armoured Viking track vehicle was blown up by a "huge" bomb as their convoy was heading for Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province. The Viking cross-country vehicles are due to be replaced in Afghanistan by more than 100 new, larger and more heavily armoured tracked vehicles to be known as Warthogs, while a further 100 Jackal all-terrain vehicles will also be purchased.... [read full story]
