At DSEi 2011, Iveco Defence Vehicles will be exhibiting the EOD Disposal variant of the Medium Protected Vehicle (MPV), the Special Forces variant of the successful LMV, and a Protected DROPS demonstrator based on the Protected Trakker 8×8 already in service with the British and German armies.
Each of these vehicles has been developed to meet requirements identified by our customers and demonstrates Iveco’s ability to adapt and exploit novel techniques
and technologies to develop new vehicle capabilities.
Iveco’s new LMV Special Forces
Iveco Defence Vehicles has built on the
remarkable commercial and operational
success of its Light Multirole Vehicle
(LMV) to develop a version dedicated to
Special Forces operations. Currently
deployed in Afghanistan by seven different
nations, the LMV is well regarded by its
users, and its high levels of protection and
mobility have already saved numerous
lives.
The company’s decision to invest in the development of an SF version followed
expressions of interest from the SF organisations of a number of countries, some
of which were already equipped with the LMV standard version. The close
involvement of the broad user community enabled their specific operational
requirements to be taken into consideration from the design phase. The result is a
robust, mobile, adaptable platform which is particularly well placed to meet the
demands of SF missions.
The prototype shown at IDET and DVD in 2009 has evolved into a second
prototype, which features significant design developments. The new model
features the well proven drive train and running gear of the standard version,
although the armoured crew cell has been stripped down to a minimum, providing
optimum situational awareness and enabling rapid dismount. The foldable
windscreen is now divided in two and can be folded forward to reduce the vehicle
height for air and helicopter transport, a design change which also provides the
vehicle commander with increased arcs of fire for the pivot mounted machine gun
which can be installed on the right side. Air transportability inside a CH 47 Chinook
is a particular design requirement for SF and this is being actively pursued by the
Iveco DV design team. To this end, a foldable roll bar concept has been designed
but not yet produced, and a vehicle solution with a width of less than 1.98m
(the maximum allowable in a CH47) has been identified. The LMV SF can accommodate a crew of five, with an extra emergency seat being available, while a
CASEVAC stretcher can be carried if needed. It features an open rear
compartment for carriage of combat supplies, while other storage solutions can be
added around the rear and sides. On the prototype, the spare wheel is carried at
the rear.
The vehicle benefits from the proven LMV chassis which ensures logistic
commonality for those armies which already deploy the standard LMV. The 140kW
engine provides a power to weight ratio of about 20 kW/t and is coupled to a six
speed automatic gearbox with a hydro dynamic coupling converter and transfer
box.
MPV 4×4 / new variants on the road
Since its first official appearance at Eurosatory 2010, the MPV vehicle family has
made decisive steps towards serial production and its position as the platform of
choice at the heart of some of the Italian Army’s most innovative and leading edge
programmes (under the name of VTMM) and is under evaluation for the GFF4
programme by the German Army.
The MPV family benefits from the expertise of two of the major European armoured
vehicle manufacturers, having its genesis in a cooperation agreement signed in
2008 between Iveco DV and Krauss Maffei Wegmann (KMW) of Germany for the
development of a new military vehicle family in the 18 to 25 tonne weight range.
The MPV family is based on the Trakker military off the shelf truck chassis, already
in service with a number of European Armies, including the UK, Germany and
Switzerland, combined with a protected crew cell. This cell incorporates the driver’s
cab and cargo, offering more than 13m3 volume in the standard 4×4 version,
increasing to 16m3 for the ambulance/Intensive treatment unit variant. The
maximum combat weight of up to 18 tonnes and a chassis capable of mastering
the toughest of terrains gives MPV 4×4 excellent tactical mobility in all missions.
The inherent flexibility of the platform design allows it to be adapted to meet a wide
variety of roles and configurations whilst maintaining the level of protection of the standard variant. It is for this reason that the vehicle has been identified as the
platform of choice for a variety of key Italian Army programmes.
The Protected Enhanced Pallet Load System (EPLS) Demonstrator
The UK MoD has selected the EPLS
as its chosen way forward for future
load handling and has already order a
number of units. The EPLS
demonstrator displayed on Iveco’s
stand represents the fruits of a nine
month collaboration by a team of
companies, each expert in their field,
who have worked together to produce
a highly capable system closely
attuned to user requirements, but at a
cost significantly below that
associated with bespoke military
platforms.
The core of the system is the highly successful Trakker 8 x 8 chassis fitted with a
dedicated ballistic steel cab manufactured by KMW. This combination is already in
service with the British and German Armies and provides outstanding ballistic and
mine protection as well as high levels of mobility. The German Army has received
more than hundred units in the TEP90 and Fuel Tanker configuration. AmSafe
have provided a sample fit of the novel Tarian RPG protection system to the door
of the cab, demonstrating how protection levels can be further enhanced. The cab
has been adapted to mount both a Bowman communications fit and an ECM suite,
using installation kits designed and provided by GD(UK). GD(UK) has also
adapted the vehicle to further improve its EMC characteristics.
In response to the increasing user demands for provision of enhanced levels of on
board power, the vehicle is fitted with the Kollmorgen eGen Power Generation
System, capable of providing 30kW of power at 28V.
The all important top hamper consists of a Multilift MSH 165SE EPLS hydraulic
hook lift system with a Container Handling Unit, with a flatrack provided courtesy
of the UK MoD. Integration of the EPLS onto the chassis has been undertaken by
Marshall Vehicle Engineering, whilst Webster Drives have developed a bespoke
split screw drive allowing one power take off to power both the eGen system and
the EPLS.
Following DSEI, the demonstrator will be undergoing trials with a number of
prospective customers, both in the UK and overseas.