SOF Mobility
SOTECH’S ANNUAL REVIEW OF GROUND VEHICLES THAT HAVE SPECIAL OPERATIONS APPLICATIONS
Different missions for different special forces in different parts of the world require vehicles with unique capabilities. Special Operations Technology takes a look at some of the options in use or in development at present.
GMV
AM General, South Bend, Ind., manufactures the HMMWV that has become an icon of Operation Iraqi Freedom. But while AM General makes the basic vehicle, special forces have long modified it to their own specifications to make their own variant, the Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV).
“With the Ground Mobility Vehicle—which is what the special ops guys call their Humvees—there are modifications made to the vehicle that we don’t necessarily do here at the manufacturing plant,” noted Craig McNabb, director of public affairs at AM General.
To confront the threats of explosive attacks such as improvised explosive devices, HMMWV vehicles generally have received armor upgrades in the past year, McNabb told Special Operations Technology.
“Most of the actual changes that have been made in the last year have been in the area of armor protection. They have also added a fire extinguisher system and some things like that,” he confirmed.
Special Forces have modified their HMMWV vehicles to be more lethal than a typical HMMWV. For example, a regular Army HMMWV might carry a weapons mount on its turret for a .50 or a 7.62 mm machine gun. The GMV variant, however, can carry four or five different weapons, which might include a .50 caliber or 7.62 mm machine gun, an anti-materiel rifle, or an automatic grenade launcher. These extra weapons mount on arms that can swing out from the doors of the GMV.
The GMV also may use satellite radio communications through an antenna mounted on top of it.
The GMV also usually has a satellite radio antenna mounted on it, MacNabb added. In addition, the variant carries camouflage nets and water and fuel cans not normally found on an HMMWV. A variety of other racks are fitted to hold weapons such as the AT- 4 or Javelin as well as ammunition, food and supplies to operate independently for several days at a time if necessary.
McNabb revealed that AM General is working on the next generation of HMMWV vehicles for U.S. military forces.
“We have got a vehicle going on that is an evolutionary vehicle from the Humvee that has a higher payload and all kinds of new things. That vehicle is not in the field yet, but that’s something that we are doing R&D on,” he said.
Whether special forces adopt and modify this new vehicle as well remains a question for a future conflict.
IFAV
Commercial innovations often find their way into specialized military vehicles. Advanced Vehicle Systems (AVS) of Jacksonville, N.C., manufactures the G-Class vehicle, based on the Geländewagen, a 4x4 manufactured by automobile giant DaimlerChrysler. The U.S. Marine Corps has chosen the G-Class as its Interim Fast Attack Vehicle (IFAV).
The vehicle has been performing very well for U.S. military forces in the past year, so it hasn’t really seen any changes.
“Our operations and maintenance have been pretty much the same over the past year. Nothing has really changed,” Kevin Shusko, AVS vice president of training and logistics, told SOTECH.
The AVS-integrated Mercedes-Benz G-Class base vehicle exhibits power, agility, durability and safety—a rare but valuable combination, according to AVS. The G-Class can travel at 96 mph, and it can tackle terrain with a grade of 80 percent or less. More than 50,000 of the G-Class vehicles are in service under NATO, according to AVS.
Shusko pointed to the power and versatility of the vehicle, noting that the G-Class can get 18-22 miles per gallon of gas. As such, the G-Class could travel 500 miles or so without refueling. Many other tactical vehicles can only get about 12 miles per gallon.
In addition, the vehicle has a turbocharged five-cylinder engine that generates 156 horsepower, making its performance comparable to many eight-cylinder engines, Shusko said. The vehicle has the additional advantage of being a true four-wheel drive vehicle.
Al-Thalab
U.K. manufacturer Jankel Armouring Ltd. and Jordan’s King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) teamed up to create the Al-Thalab Long Range Patrol Vehicle (LRPV). Production of the vehicle began in 2005 in the United Kingdom but shifted to Jordan in 2006 under the joint operation of the two companies, called the Jordan Light Vehicle Manufacturing LLC. Since that time, Jankel Armouring has assisted with several deliveries of the vehicle for deployment and testing purpose, revealed Lorne Stoddart, commercial manager for Jankel Armouring.
“We have made a delivery of 15 units to a customer in Africa for a border patrol/asset protection role,” Stoddart told SOTECH. “We have made a delivery of a small batch of vehicles for evaluation into a European special forces unit. We have completed a delivery of 15 units into a Jordanian military user, with a further 50 units on order.”
In addition, the Al-Thalab made its operational debut in Afghanistan in March. Potential customers in 11 additional nations are evaluating the vehicle. Jankel Armouring ships one of three evaluation vehicles to clients who wish to evaluate the vehicle in the desired operational environment to see how it realistically performs. The Al-Thalab LRPV was designed to operate in desert and mountain environments and also performs well in urban warfighting operations. In urban operations, warfighters can use the vehicle to access upper levels of tall buildings using an Urban Combat Access System in connection with the vehicle.
The companies also customize the Thalab to meet customer requirements when possible. For example, they recently introduced a modular armor system to the vehicle to provide crew protection. The LRPV is configured to carry a driver, a team commander, and two crewmembers.
The Al-Thalab LRPV has a payload of about 1,700 kg and includes ammunition and equipment lockers. It can travel a distance of about 1,500 km without resupplying and it can move relatively quickly over challenging terrain. The vehicle is designed for operations at high altitudes and at –15 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius at a relative humidity of 90 percent.
The LRPV is based upon a Toyota 4x4 chassis, has a six-cylinder turbocharged engine and a five-speed manual transmission. The vehicle is relatively affordable to maintain and repair as its standard Toyota components are easily acquired through normal supply lines.
Pinzgauer
The United Kingdom’s Pinzgauer vehicle has received such wide attention that the company that manufactures it changed its name to Pinzgauer Ltd. in May 2006. Stewart and Stevensen Tactical Vehicle Systems, an American company, purchased Automotive Technik Ltd., which had been producing the vehicles.
The combined company then changed its name to reflect its top product. In addition, Pinzgauer Ltd. is a subsidiary of Armor Holdings Inc.
Pinzgauer still manufactures its vehicles in the United Kingdom building about 500 per year for military and emergency use. More than 26,000 of the vehicles are deployed in use with 28 national armed forces around the world. The U.K. army, air force and navy account for about 1,500 of those vehicles.
In July 2006, the company announced that it would introduce the Pinzgauer Protected Patrol Vehicle (PPV), a 6x6 vehicle designed to protect soldiers on patrol. Production of the vehicles began last fall. The enhanced PPV was developed under Project Vector at the U.K. Ministry of Defence to provide increased protection, payload and mobility than other vehicles currently in service, according to the company.
The typical truck can carry up to 14 fully armed men, two standard NATO pallets or a mix of other equipment and personnel. The U.S. military is also examining its usefulness as a mothership, supporting long-range reconnaissance by other vehicles, and as a heavy weapons platform. Both the 4x4 and 6x6 have a common chassis with design configurations in the variants coming in the form of body modifications.
All Pinzgauer models are designed to load onto a C-130 and fit onboard a CH-47 or MH-53. The 4x4 has been available in several configurations, including a weapons platform, a command-andcontrol vehicle, and an ambulance.
Supacat
Supacat Ltd. of Devon, England, also produces a namesake line of vehicles. Its Supacat 6x6 MK III has permanent six-wheel drive with four front wheels that warfighters can steer with a rotating handlebar. Soldiers also can operate steering breaks with the handlebar.
The Supacat has an aluminum-clad steel, rectangular, hollow chassis that allows the vehicle to float while protecting its mechanics. Floating requires the use of an additional kit for the Supacat, but once afloat, the vehicle still carries personnel and equipment. In the water, warfighters could outfit the Supacat with an outboard motor to move it through water, according to Graham Weller, Supacat commercial director.
The Supacat has a Volkswagen 1,900 cc turbocharged engine that runs off diesel fuel from a 14-gallon tank. It also requires two batteries (either 12 or 24 volts). The Supacat has a maximum speed of about 40 mph. The vehicle weighs more than 3,800 pounds, and it is capable of carrying a maximum payload of 3,200 pounds and towing about 4,800 pounds.
The vehicle has a belly plate of hardened aluminum and could wield a protective steel front plate as well. It survives airdrops very well and prepares for deployment very quickly once unloaded from a pallet, according to the company.
The British Army and the Royal Marines both use the MK III in their airborne and rapid reaction forces. The vehicle also has been used in support of civilian emergency services, such as firefighting. Supacat Ltd. has exported the MK III to other nations, including the United States and Canada, in small numbers. The MK III has seen action in 43 nations.
VCA, VPS, VAP
Paris-based Panhard and Auverland has developed three lines of vehicles primarily for use by special forces troops. The first of them, the Auverland A3 VCA, is in service with the 11th parachute brigade of the French Army, Charles Maisonneuve, head of marketing and communications at Panhard and Auverland, told SOTECH. Although paratroopers do not report directly to French Special Forces, they are considered reserve forces for special operations, to be activated as required.
A3 VCA is an armed vehicle in the configuration of a jeep. The Auverland A3 series was first produced commercially in 1988 as a durable light vehicle and the French military began buying them that year. The A3 VCA also is in use with the army of Saudi Arabian and the Marines of Indonesia, according to Maisonneuve.
The A3 is available in several different configurations. A helicopter can lift an A3MH variant, while an A3 Gendarmerie comes with a longer wheelbase and a hardtop. Other variants of the vehicle carry armaments: the A3-SL can be armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun and the A3-L can carry anti-tank missiles.
The next special forces vehicle from Panhard and Auverland, the VPS, is in use with French Special Operations Command units.
French forces made an initial order of 40 VPS vehicles last year. The vehicle uses a G Mercedes chassis and includes floor hardening for protection against mines. Small combat groups generally make use of the four-wheel drive vehicle for extended operations.
The VPS, which weighs 2,800 kg, can hold four men and a payload of 1,200 kg. The vehicle is designed for transport by helicopter. It generally carries a .50 caliber machine gun, and its top speed is 120 km/hr.
Finally, Panhard and Auverland offers the VAP, an exploration vehicle based on the company’s older VBL vehicle frame. This desert patrol vehicle was created for long reconnaissance and patrol missions. The VAP has a more powerful diesel engine, at 130 hp, than the older VBL, which remains in production.
The VAP can carry four men and a payload of 1.5 metric tons. Its armaments could include cannons, machine guns and anti-tank missiles. The VAP also comes with anti-mine protection in the floor of the vehicle. Its maximum speed is 120 km/hr, and it has an operational range of at least 700 km.
Paratrooper Bike
Montague Corp., based in Cambridge, Mass., offers a military bike in use with special forces around the world. Montague developed its Paratrooper bike with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency with the goal of creating a lightweight means of transportation that saved infantry from needless walking.
For this year’s models, the company is introducing a revolutionary new quick release system called Clix that should be in use globally by 2008, Jonathon Vandenberg, general sales manager at Montague, told SOTECH.
The Paratrooper is a 24-speed mountain bike that handles all terrains at high speeds. It rides silently and generates no heat signature. Warfighters can fold the bike up quickly and easily without the use of tools when they are done with it. In less than 30 seconds, the bike collapses to a 3 foot by 3 foot pack with Montague’s Folding Integrated Technology.
SwissBike carries the Paratroopers XSeries frame, which folds, into civilian use. Montague observed that U.S. servicemembers were often carrying their bikes in non-traditional places, like the trunks of their cars, which inspired the company to create a version of the bike for everyone.
Flyer
The Marvin Group, based in Inglewood, Calif., has been developing the Flyer vehicle through its Flyer Defense unit. The goal of the development work is to create an internally transportable vehicle (ITV) that helicopters can lift to higher ground as required in support of fast attack, weapons carrier, command and control or logistical support missions.
Oded Nechushtan, director of Flyer Defense, told SOTECH that he could not provide technical specifications or other updates on the project.
“Due to the nature of our business, we cannot discuss the status of the project at present,” he noted.
However, the Flyer ITV is designed to fly on the Army’s CH-47 or Marine Corps’ CH- 53E Super Stallion. Flyer Defense would like to see the ITV fly onboard the V-22 Osprey, but research and development on that possibility apparently remain ongoing.
In the past, Flyer Defense has asserted that its Flyer ITV is unmatched in its combination of being lightweight while being able to carry a heavy payload. Its transportability would make it ideal for a range of military missions when forces must move to higher terrain.
But during development, the company received additional requirements, such as the need to add more armor to the vehicle. That requirement creates a challenge in that a heavier or bulkier vehicle would not be transportable.
“The original requirement did not include protection, but it has become obvious that protection is a necessity,” Nechushtan said in a previous interview. “That’s a little bit of a challenge for a light vehicle. A light vehicle must be light, but when you add protection it becomes less light. You need a vehicle that has the capabilities to maintain its performance and remain light when you add the armor.”
Prowler
All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Corp. of Orange, Calif., has developed a rugged terrain vehicle (RTV), known as the Prowler, with military needs in mind. The light platform provides a means of engaging in non-traditional combat, reconnaissance and logistics operations. Warfighters can easily configure and quickly deploy the Prowler for a range of missions in various terrains or climates, according to Amos Deacon, CEO of ATV Corp. Deacon stresses that the Prowler, as an internally transportable vehicle, can fit onboard many aircraft for rapid transport to battlezones.
Deacon coined the RTV terminology to differentiate the Prowler from other all terrain vehicles in use by military forces. He points to the fact that the Prowler is more powerful and durable, having been designed specifically for military missions, than other vehicles in its class.
The 4th Royal Australian Regiment agreed with that assessment in a review of the Prowler it sent to ATV Corp. In the review, the Australian forces point to the Prowler’s advanced operational capabilities as well as its safety features. The Australian commando report described an accident that occurred while training with the Prowler vehicle, where the vehicle accidentally fell down a slope and onto its nose. “If the same accident had occurred on the current in-service ATV, the vehicle would have sustained much further damage,” the review read. “The operator would probably have been seriously wounded, due to the type of steering employed that would have ‘flicked’ and probably broken his wrists. Furthermore, there are no driver restraints on the current in-service ATV to stop the driver from going over the handlebars.” The Australian unit was pleased to find that the Prowler could carry more weight than its standard ATV as well. Its in-service ATV carried a recommended maximum weight of 286 kilograms, but the regiment had been placing as much as 350 kg upon it. The Prowler tested by the Australians, on the other hand, could carry 400 kg and two passengers. The soldiers found the Prowler was fairly adaptable. It could also carry casualties on medical stretchers or the passenger could operate weapons configured for the platform.
Last May, ATV Corp. added the option of a third seat facing the rear of the Prowler RTV. The third-seat option provides the Prowler with an extended roll cage along with a rear cargo bed and superior suspension capable of supporting a payload of a half-ton in addition to its three occupants. Contact: Amos Deacon: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Land-Sea Convertible
High-speed amphibious vehicles have the potential to revolutionize business-asusual for SEALs and other special operations teams. Gibbs Technologies of Warwickshire, UK, manufactures three vehicles designed for specific missions.
“There is the Aquada, which is an amphibious car; there is the Humdinga, which is a four-wheel drive, five-seat vehicle capable of doing up to 100 miles per hour; and the third one is called the Quadski, which is a cross between a jet ski and a quad bike,” according to a spokesman for Gibbs Technologies, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of military trials using the vehicles presently.
An operator simply presses a button and then drives the stylish Aquada from land into the sea. The wheels retract and thrust propels the car through the water at speeds of more than 30 mph. The conversion takes about 12 seconds, according to the company. Gibbs extended the technology from a car to a four-wheel drive vehicle and then to the combination jet ski/quad bike vehicle.
“They are fantastic for special forces teams,” the spokesman said. “You are out at sea, but you don’t need two vehicles. One gets you to the beach, and one takes you off the beach. You do your mission, and it takes you back to the beach and back into the water. You can imagine the benefits of that.”
In addition, the Humdinga and the Quadski offer four-wheel drive capability that can carry warfighters to areas that they may not have previously been able to penetrate with a vehicle—much less a vehicle that could get them back out to sea. ♦