Mowag lands Eagle IV: Mowag has unveiled a new, more capable and powerful scout vehicle, which, it is worthy of notice, will actually be cheaper to acquire than the current Hummer-based Eagle III it intends to replace.

The Eagle IV, rolled out to the specialised press in late November 2003, pretty much combines the most recent experience and knowledge gathered by the Swiss firm through the development of larger vehicles like the Piranha III and IV on a smaller but well-proven and readily available 4 x 4 chassis.

The backbone in this instance is a straight derivative of the Duro underpinnings originally developed by Bucher-Guyer, which was acquired by Mowag in January 2003 (Mowag was itself acquired by General Dynamics in March). Over the years, the Duro troop transport managed to cut itself a nice niche on the export market with sales to Britain, and more recently Venezuela and Germany. The Duro is also the standard troop transport of the Swiss Army. It rests on a unique rigid chassis design under which anything that can move is the responsibility of a dramatically unconventional--yet robust--long-stroke de Dion suspension arrangement.

As for the Piranha III and IV technology aspect, Mowag has over the years been absolutely intent on providing modular and upgradeable armouring solutions--ravages caused by land mines being an almost obsessive issue nowadays. For the Piranhas, Mowag has investigated a number of solutions, and real life trials against ten-kilo trinitrotoluene-equivalent mines confirmed computer simulated models leading to the use of about one inch-thick aramid-based composite inner floor pans. An equivalent plate made of steel would have commanded four times the thickness.

The use of this material as the base plate of the Eagle IV was thus inevitable. From there upwards, the coachwork is essentially modular--but in a true sense of the word--as indeed the central cab module can be of the open jeep-like type, or closed with add-on armour. According to Mowag, the swap is a depot-level bolt-off and bolt-on affair. The engine compartment is closed by a one-piece lightweight bonnet that will blow upwards in case any of the front wheels meet with hidden harm and thereby minimise blow-off effects on the vehicle.

The adoption of the Duro chassis also brought about another boon, in that this piece of hardware can bear a maximum gross weight of 7600 kg resulting in a load capacity of some 2400 kg (versus 5800 and 1650 kg respectively for the recce version of the Eagle III). Wearing its full armour protection, the new Eagle meets Stanag 4569 ballistic standards (in other words will stop 7.62 armour piercing rounds) and can withstand a six-kilogram TNT mine under a wheel.

The task of moving this beast is entrusted to a front-mounted turbocharged 5.9-litre Cummins diesel that despatches a beefy 184 KW (250 hp) to the four corners of the vehicle via a rear-mounted five-gear Allison autobox (the aft location of the gear-box essentially helps balance the weight over the front and rear axles). Compared with its predecessor, the 'IV sees its power-to-weight ratio boost from 24.8 kW to a neat 33. The Eagle IV can thus bolt to 50 km/hour in eleven seconds and then hit the 120 km/h speed mark on road.

Eagle IV Leading Particulars

Overall length metres          5.09
Height (over cab) metres:      2.00
Overall width metres:          2.16
Number of seats:                  4
Baseline weight kg:            5000
Payload kg:                    2400
Gross vehicle weight             --
with run flat inserts kg:      7600
Fuel litres:                   140
Engine:                        Cummins 6 cyl,
                               184 kW diesel
Transmission:                  5-speed
                               Allison 1000
Max road range speed km/h:      120
Max road range km:              480
Max gradient:                    60
Max side slope:                  40
Vertical obstacle metres:       0.4