In May 2010, the service put restrictions on the use
of some of vehicles, stipulating they "may only be
operated if authorized by area commanders for high priority
activities, provided thorough weekly inspections are completed,"
noted army spokesman Maj. Martell Thompson.
The restrictions affect about a third of the LUVWs, also
known as G-Wagons, currently in service. Thompson pointed
out that modifications to the vehicles are ongoing and
are expected to be completed by March. The LUVW fleet
is heavily used for training in Canada by both regular
force and reserve units, he added.
After the problem was first discovered, the army sent
out messages outlining inspection procedures that take
around four hours per vehicle. Thompson said more than
700 vehicles in the LUVW fleet are unaffected and available
for domestic operations, humanitarian missions and training.
The current restriction on the G-Wagon does not significantly
affect the Afghan mission, according to the military,
as the LUVW is no longer used outside Kandahar airfield.
In 2006, the use of the LUVW in Afghanistan was restricted
after a roadside bomb destroyed a G-Wagon north of Kandahar,
killing four soldiers.
