GSV.

This is coolbert:

To war with bicycle! Electrical bicycle! Norwegian style!

"With electric bikes, military border guards can patrol with silence"

"The Norwegian soldiers guarding the border to Russia is the world’s first military unit to use electric all terrain bikes."

Thanks again to the Barents Observer and the article by Thomas Nilsen.

THAT BORDER BETWEEN RUSSIA AND NORWAY PATROLLED TO PREVENT ILLEGAL ENTRY INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION! A BORDER OF RUGGED AND UNFORGIVING TERRAIN!

"Most part of the 196 kilometers [one-hundred twenty mile] long Norwegian-Russian border goes through rough terrain . . . and across remote mountains far away from normal roads."

"The Garrison of Sør-Varanger (GSV) has for since Norway became a Schengen member some 15 years ago patrolled the the border with Six-wheel terrain vehicles during summer period and snowmobiles in winter."

"Now, the green-uniformed soldiers are testing electric bikes, as the first military unit to do so anywhere. Not only because of the greenish eco-friendly . . . but [also] for checking out both possible practical and tactical benefits."

USEFUL FOR LONG-RANGE PATROLLING AND RECONNAISSANCE, COST-EFFECTIVE, NOT SO SUBJECT TO BREAKDOWN, REQUIRING LESS MAINTENANCE, CAN BE PEDALED BY HUMAN POWER IF NEEDED.

BATTERIES DURING THE COLD OF THE LONG ARCTIC WINTER WILL BE A CONCERN? ELECTRIC BICYCLE A DO-ABLE ONLY DURING SUMMER?

The Japanese in Malaya. The Viet Minh during the First Indo-China War. And now the Norwegian in the far north. Bicycle-a-war! Go for it!

coolbert.