Trends in light transport vehicle development.

Trends in Light Transport Vehicle Development

A New Generation Is Poised to Enter Service

For many years the development of thoroughly cost-effective light tactical load-carrying vehicles capable of operating both on-highway and in rough terrain has presented the auto industry with a series of challenging problems.

Land Rover has established major refurbishing facilities in several of its African markets to permit users to maximize the design benefits that contribute to the longevity of its products. However, some changes in both battlefield concepts and in light commercial vehicle manufacturing technologies are combining to create a situation which might compel military fleet users to seek entirely new solutions to their requirements.

Weapons Platforms

When light 4 X 4s first entered military inventories they did so primarily as light liaison and communications vehicles. A payload of around 0.5 tonne was acceptable for such roles, as indeed it was for some of the lightly armed reconnaissance and patrol versions that were to emerge in the ensuing years. The widespread use of recoilless rifles led directly to the installation of such weapons in calibres up to 106 mm, followed eventually by the even more specialized installations for TOW and other anti-armour weapons. Inevitably such conversions could only be effected at the expense of load space. Thus, derivatives of the basic Jeep CJ5 design with payloads in the range of 370 to 620 kg (the latter in a long wheelbase version) are still in production by Asia Motors (South Korea) but its KM412 TOW launcher carrier has to be supported in action by a second vehicle with bodywork specially developed for carrying missiles.

A number of highly capable vehicles like Steyr's Pinzgauer 4 X 4 (1000 kg payload) and 6 X 6 (1500 kg) have found widespread use in a variety of weapons platform roles. The Pinzgauer Model 712T 6 X 6 has been adapted to carry a 20 mm Oerlikon cannon on a flatbed rear platform, but in recent years the increased availability of commercial pick-up trucks with payloads of around one tonne has encouraged many users to examine their feasibility as weapons platforms. The main thrust of such projects has often been to find a vehicle which could be sourced locally and thereby avoid the drain on foreign currency occasioned by high-value imports.

The late 1970s Argentinian EDESA version of the 1-tonne Chevrolet K10 as a platform for a multiple rocket launcher is a notable example of such an adaptation. This vehicle was fitted with features such as hydraulic outriggers which enabled it to be lifted from the ground before firing. However, at heart it remained a commercial pickup built for a market in which replacement at a relatively early age was acceptable and where, for example, rust degradation of body panels was a fact of operational life. At that time the US were in a dominant position as a supplier of such pickups. However, the diversity of (mainly Japanese-designed) pickups has since encouraged users to make similar, but essentially ad hoc conversions for low-intensity warfare.

Buying Off-The-Shelf

The auto industry now plans significantly to increase its output of 4 X 4 pickups and will almost certainly be looking for military customers. The European 1-tonne pickup truck market has increased from around 47 000 to 68 000 vehicles per year over the past four years and with Fiat marketing a 4 X 4 version of its Ducato, Renault a switchable 4 X 4 version of its Trafic, and VW already targeting government markets with a version of its Transporter fitted with the Steyr-developed Synchro 4 X 4, the pressure on traditional military vehicle suppliers seems certain to increase. Even without any downturn in European demand this will almost certainly be reflected globally. Significantly, all these developments will have the higher payloads which military users may be seeking in next-generation vehicles.

There is a tendency for some military users to be somewhat dismissive of the new "off-the-shelf" options. Although procurement authorities may disregard the initial cost benefits they will be looking for whole life cost advantages and thus, for at least the more demanding roles, may prefer to remain faithful to "traditional" military utilities.

Certainly the Land Rover product line and the Mercedes-Benz G continue to win major contracts and in addition to the licence-built versions of the G being built by Steyr (Austria), ELBO (Greece) and Peugeot (France), approximately 27 000 of the latter were sold to military users during the 1980s. It is perhaps worth noting that although such vehicles have an up-market specification, they continue to win orders in countries characterised by tough operating environments. This is quite simply due to the fact that they have a good record and are frequently preferred to cheaper types for desert patrol and similar roles in which mechanical and structural reliability are imperatives. Major manufacturers have also established effective collaborative arrangements with bodywork specialists which enable them to offer well-proven and fully integrated packages to their customers. Thus Land Rover has linked with Marshall of Cambridge to produce a range of integrated systems ranging from the 106 mm RCL "Gunship" (sold in large quantities to Saudi Arabia and elsewhere) via vehicles equipped with scaling ladders and other equipment to assist special forces assault teams to gain access to buildings and hijacked aircraft, to specially-equipped ambulances. Development of medical equipment packages is becoming an increasingly important part of the support that leading manufacturers offer to their customers. A patrol vehicle, for example, might well require not only such reasonably well-established features as suppressed vehicle electrics and weapon mounts for machine-guns and missiles, but may also need satellite navigation equipment and thermal imagers for night vision (and the supporting, on-board pure-air charging equipment). Thus, although the baseline vehicle might well be a standard item with the customary military features, the vehicle as delivered is both sophisticated and expensive.

It may well be though that the availability of "commercial" light 4 X 4s will enable larger operators to "structure" their fleets in a slightly different manner than has traditionally been the case. The US Army's decision to replace part of its 4 X 4 fleet with a commercial utility vehicle (the CUCV) whose operational role does not extend into the forward areas, is now widely recognised to have been a success. The CUCV is less expensive than a dedicated military vehicle, and has a "commercial" 1.8-tonne payload that permits some versions - notably the M1028 - to carry equipment shelters. Current commercial vehicle standards of reliability and maintainability are such that the CUCV is not an embarrassment to its users in areas where the environment does not demand the use of military specials. The savings secured by buying part of the fleet "off-the-shelf" could make it easier for users to afford the more expensive specials for tasks where no compromise on performance is permissible. In the case of the US Army this latter requirement is met by the expensive HMMWV Hummer. The British Army, for its part, has recently been told that if it wants to buy additional specialised Supacat All-Terrain Vehicles of around 30 000 [pounds] a piece, it must forego two road-equipped Land Rovers for every all-terrain vehicle purchased. Armies finding themselves in a similar position may well ask whether it might not be possible to introduce yet another tier of less expensive civilian 4 X 4 load-carrying vehicles into their fleet to replace "traditional military utilities" and so enable them to purchase equipment that they need at the high-performance end of the spectrum without adversely affecting fleet size.

Towards Higher Payloads

The trend towards the use of commercial 4 X 4s, or at least of vehicles designed from commercially available components, comes at a time when military fleet operators are faced with an increasing need for highly mobile load carriers in the one to two-tonne category. Certainly this is not an entirely new requirement. The Unimog product line is in widespread military service, and there is little doubt that its U600L, which has a payload of 1250 kg, is one of the most widely respected light load-carriers. The French-built Renault Vehicules Industriels' TRM1200 - originally marketed as the Saviem TP3 - was sold in considerable numbers to North African users who found the combination of commercial components and four-wheel drive to be ideally suited to the adverse conditions that they were likely to encounter in operations in remote areas. It was an area in which France was pre-eminent, its rugged ACMAT VLRA - which has a 1500 kg payload and is powered by a 120 bhp Perkins diesel - having been adapted for a number of demanding roles including long-range patrol and as a MILAN and LAU87 multiple rocket launch vehicle.

However, by the time the TRM1200's successor, the TRM2000, began to enter production in 1983 the more technologically advanced armies were already looking for a vehicle with a higher payload which could, for example, carry containerised tactical trunk communications equipment, 20 mm air defence cannon, forward air controllers and their equipment and such logistic payloads as bulk fuel. In short the requirement was for higher payloads carried closer to the forward areas than had formerly been necessary.

The trend was towards two-tonners and a higher degree of "user-friendliness" as well as higher power to permit tactical vehicles to undertake "shoot-and-scoot" and similar operations. Israel's armed forces have historically preferred a vehicle with a 1800 kg payload - the Commandcar 4 x 4 - for a variety of tactical support roles. The Commandcar's successor is likely to be the ABIR which retains the same general well-proven dimensions but incorporates more advanced features such as a fully automatic transmission, integral power steering and improved braking.

The Bucher 4 x 4 and 6 x 6 vehicles that are under consideration as successors to the Unimog, Mowag and Steyr Pinzgauer vehicles in the Swiss Army provide a good example of the technical progress that has been made in this sector of the market. The forward-control Bucher 1.5 and 2-tonne cross-country and logistical vehicles came out on top in a competition with Mowag two years ago and are due to face the French manufacturer Brimont to decide the destination of the Swiss contract. Both the 4 x 4 and 6 x 6 variants are powered by Ford V6 106 kW/144 bhp petrol engines (a diesel version is under development for export markets) driving via 4-speed automatic transmission. Both have exceptional cross-country capability (330 mm ground clearance, 700 mm fordability and gradability of 100% in the case of the 4 x 4 and 80% in the case of the 6 x 6) and have a maximum road speed of 100 km/h.

The 4 x 4 can transport eight fully-equipped troops or four cargo pallets and the 6 x 6 either twelve persons or six pallets. All-up weight of the 4 x 4 is 4200 kg and of the 6 x 6 5300 kg. Bucher claims high durability, low life-cycle costs and ease of maintenance, the cab, chassis and super-structure being constructed of aluminium and high-grade synthetic materials. Power steering, disc brakes and an interior which has been designed for maximum ergonomic efficiency make the vehicles user-friendly and, it is said, particularly suitable for conscript armies. Bucher is not merely confining its attention to the Swiss Army requirement and is prepared to enter into licence-manufacturing and co-production agreements with potential foreign clients.

The Bucher provides yet another clear indication that the industry is reacting very positively to the demand for 2-tonners. Brimont's BRUTT has been developed to tow heavy mortars or light artillery and has been proposed for a number of tactical roles, while Iveco's contract from Pakistan for more than 2000 of its 40-10WM has underlined the strong technical claims of a forward control design which enjoys a high degree of component commonality with a commercial type - in its case the Fiat Daily.

Specialisation

Respected industry sources see the turbocharged 40-10WM as a possible market leader which ought to be able to keep in step with the demands for technical improvement emanating from the commercial marketplace. In contrast, the US-designed Hummer is a military special, optimised for a broad spectrum of more or less specialised military roles and where the user is not prepared to compromise on his requirement. Several of these roles require the installation of fairly sophisticated weapon fits and, as described elsewhere in this article, envisage the light tactical vehicle operating in reconnaissance and support roles which might otherwise have been assigned to armoured vehicles. Panhard has already developed a light armoured vehicle (the VBL) which is said to offer a cost-effective alternative to the use of a full-fledged armoured type, whilst Land Rover offers an armoured patrol version of its One-Ten vehicle which is suitable for both Internal Security and battlefield support roles.

Again the message coming out of industry is that it is preferable to take a formal engineering approach to the development of such vehicles rather than attempt local conversions which might transgress design parameters. Technically and despite its utility-like appearance, the Panhard is a light armoured vehicle. Some fleet operators will undoubtedly seek "kit conversions" not unlike that adopted by the Royal Ulster Constabulary for its Land Rovers, which can be transferred between vehicles as they reach the end of their service life. The basic problem they have encountered so far is that of the weight of the steel ballistic plate. Such very effective alternatives as Kevlar - and indeed some specialised steels - can be prohibitively expensive, but a recent development by UK-based Carr Reinforcements of a Kevlar/PPS thermoplastic prepreg that requires only pressing under heat to produce nonparasitic armoured structural components might open fresh possibilities for system designers.

Off-Highway

Arguably the all-terrain vehicle is the ultimate "military special", but it generally lacks the features necessary for on-highway use, and carries a price tag which reflects a limited demand. There is really very little in the way of recent developments to suggest that there will ever be a demand for them other than in limited quantities.

Probably the most frequently proposed tactical tasks are as dropping or landing zone support vehicles in airborne and airmobile operations. There has also been a series of proposals to use all-terrain vehicles as field service vehicles for helicopters and as the basis for armoured personnel carriers. Here, too, there has often been interest but no desire to buy, and the impression persists that many procurement authorities still tend to regard such vehicles as expensive "toys".

Nevertheless, there has been some recent interest in adapting all-terrain vehicles as weapons carriers. Supacat has reported some interest from one of its African prospects (Zimbabwe?) in the possibility of using its 6 x 6 as a firing platform for 81 mm mortars and says that it has successfully trialled it in such a role using only a rudimentary firing platform. Other proposals include their use as tractor vehicles for 120 mm mortars. Likewise MWG Esarco, whose Land Rover-based design has been re-engineered to permit manufacture by its US licensee Stewart & Stevenson using Ford components, has been proposed as a platform for Oerlikon 20 mm cannon and Rapier missiles.

The international focus on frontier patrol, the interdiction of drug smuggling and ivory poaching has recently given rise to increased interest in what has hitherto been referred to as the Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV). These dune-buggy derivatives are now available from several manufacturers including Chenowth (US), Engesa (Brazil) and Wessex Defence (UK) and can be fitted with a variety of weapons ranging from MILAN and TOW to light machine-guns and grenade-launchers. Wessex Defence's Saker, the latest of these vehicles, is said to have a range of 1500 miles, but in view of its limited load-carrying capability such claims would appear to contradict the conventional wisdom that a vehicle with crew space comparable to the ACMAT VLRA or at least the patrol version of the Land Rover is necessary for such operations remote from base. A far more likely scenario seems to be their injection by helicopter or STOL transport aircraft to undertake a particular task for which an outright airborne approach and subsequent extraction is inappropriate. The US Army's TPC RAMP 4 x 4 rough terrain vehicle which can carry a payload of nearly one tonne or up to six personnel really seems to be far more appropriate to a broad spectrum of operational tasks: it is not inconceivable that units could be equipped with a combination of RAMP or other ATVs and FAVs for some types of patrol operation.

What does the Future Hold in Store?

Several factors may combine to dictate the choice of vehicles for future fleets. It is likely that there will be a continuing move towards diesels that will render many long-serving types obsolete. Likewise legislation in an increasing number of countries is likely to impose environmental controls in terms of noise levels and exhaust emissions. This is almost certain to dictate the pace and cost of replacement programmes in the future.

The increasing cost of tanks might prompt a move towards ballistically-protected wheeled weapons carriers, liaison and reconnaissance vehicles built on all-wheel drive chassis. The ensuing costs may be best offset by fleet restructuring so as to secure the benefits available from recent advances in automotive technology. This in turn may lead to a greater understanding of life-cycle costs and insistence that suppliers of "off-the-shelf" products offer their governmental customers in-service support and extended warranties of the type being demanded by commercial fleet users. Given prevailing conditions in world auto markets, this sector of the military equipment market seems likely to see vicious competition in the years ahead.

PHOTO : For a number of years, Short has been proposing armoured vehicles based on the Land Rover

PHOTO : like the Shorland seen here.

PHOTO : Steyr's four and six-wheel drive Pinzgauers are used in a variety of platform roles,

PHOTO : including as 20 mm Oerlikon carriers.

PHOTO : Daimler-Benz's versatile G-Wagen is available in eight body styles and three wheelbase

PHOTO : lengths, powered by Diesel or petrol engines.

PHOTO : The French ACMATVLRA, arguably one of the most successful weapons carriers of recent

PHOTO : years, is powered by a 120 hp Perkins diesel and has a payload of 1500 kg.

PHOTO : The Marshall Gunship version of the Land Rover is a well-proven adaptation of a light

PHOTO : utility vehicle to carry a 106 mm recoilless weapon system.

PHOTO : A very popular machine, the Unimog has been developed into a wide range with different

PHOTO : sizes and engines.

PHOTO : The TRM2000 is aimed at the North African market where its predecessor, the TRM1200,

PHOTO : scored numerous sales successes thanks to its commercial origins.

PHOTO : Panhard, one of the oldest names in the automobile history, has developed the VBL. The

PHOTO : troop transport version seen here uses a long wheelbase frame.

PHOTO : The Bucher, developed as a successor to the Unimog, Mowag and Pinzgauer, is under

PHOTO : consideration in the Swiss Army.

PHOTO : The Supacat 6 x 6 vehicle is already in service with British Army and is now under

PHOTO : consideration in an African country as an 81 mm mortar carrier.

PHOTO : Developed by Wessex Defence, the dune buggy-like Saker looks like the ideal vehicle for

PHOTO : fast covert operations or anti-drug smuggling/border surveillance.