One vehicle type we left out from our previous post of light vehicles was the light strike vehicle, there are somewhat niche but in the press today was news that BMNT are going to be trialling their Phobos LSV at Bovington, after a series of successful hot weather trials in Morocco.
Phobos, based on the filthyboy buggy, has been designed in 2, 3 and 4 seat versions for utility, fire support, casualty evacuation and reconnaissance missions, with a top speed of 6okph and a payload of 1,600kg.
The MoD has previously used LSV, the DML manufactured Wessex Saker was trialled about 15 years ago but didn’t enter service in any numbers beyond those used by ‘those with a big tache’ and had a payload of 700kg including mounted weapons. There was also a similar vehicle called the Longline Light Strike Vehicle.
The Phobos does not have the market to itself, a quick cast around the internet reveals many competitors including the General Dynamics Growler, Polaris Ultra Light Tactical Vehicle, BAe SRATS, Raytheon HyDRA and the rather impressive hybrid powered ST Kinetics Spider Light Strike Vehicle.
Recently, the TomCar derived Springer has entered service in Afghanistan, obtained as an urgent operational requirement (UOR) to move supplies between Helicopter Landing Sites (HLS) and Patrol or Forward Operating Bases. Existing quads were proving dangerously inadequate and the Springer was specifically obtained to make sure helicopters spend as little time as possible on the ground whilst unloading. At £70k each (including initial logistics package etc) the Springer is not a cheap option, even though the manufacturers web site states the TMV5 starts at $19,700. The deal was £10.3million for 75.
The Springer has a payload of about 1,000kg even taking into account the extra weight of armour and other equipment and can self load a standard pallet by hauling it onto the cargo bed over its integral ramps.
Designed to be carried internally in a Chinook they fill a gap between quad bikes and Land Rover size vehicles, with the Light Protected Patrol Vehicle starting at 7.5 tonnes the need for this type of vehicle may be opening up.
Apart from the obvious cargo carrying capacity this type of vehicle can be armed with GPMG, HMG, GMG or even lightweight automatic cannons like the Rheinmetall RMK30 Recoilless or even the ATK M230LF, a derivative of the M230 weapon carried by Apache helicopters that is claimed can be mounted in any mount that can take an M2 HMG
I am not yet convinced but can see a few niche missions where their light weight and mobility may be ideal., if we do need them then perhaps just using Springers might be the most sensible option
“…the Springer is not a cheap option, even though the manufacturers web site states the TMV5 starts at $19,700. The deal was £10.3million for 75.”
Nothing is cheap with a procurement bureaucracy that’s incompetent if not corrupt.
The MoD buys often equipment at three times the price of comparable competitors, and this almost tenfold increase in price over the civilian version of the same vehicle fits well into the general picture.
In concept, these vehicles are not much different from the Jackal already in service, which has an increased load-carrying capacity as well as excellent mobility.
The problem with these vehicles is the ongoing threat of the IED. It’s no good saying that these vehicles are not restricted to on-road use so can easily avoid obvious vehicle ambush sites. It is important to remember that as many foot patrols encounter IEDs as vehicle-mounted ones.
While all of these vehicles are likely to be fast and manoeuvrable, they do not provide overhead protection from explosive munitions. What we need is PROTECTED MOBILITY. This has to be the new watchword in UK defence procurement.
Ocelot and SPV400 show the way. FRES UV will need to provide an increased troop carrying capacity without compromising either mobility or protection. Getting this future generation of vehicles ready for service has to be Liam Fox’s most urgent priority
Seventy-grand for a golf kart on steroids, given the limited application for the vehicle and the light-weight armour kit available, what’s wrong with using a Land Rover lightweight? Ok, the original with leaf-spring suspension would be a no-go, but what about one based on the latest version?
They used them to tow 105mm Light Guns out of the back of Chinooks, I’d be suprised if the springer could do that without burning out its clutch.
Hmmm.
My original thought was WTF this the land rover WMIK all over again, I’m sure its very whizzy and has loads of firepower, but thats irrelevent to the mission at hand.
That said, assuming there is a corridor between the patrol base and landing site, these should work, and in most cases, such a corridor should be enforcable.
Then again, if your going along a prepared route day in day out, you can just fix the road for a proper vehicle.
I’m sure in a stratergic raid it’d be very handy, but afghanistan, nar.
Nicholas
Although ground forces are repeatedly IED’ed, they are repeatedly IED’ed whilst patrolling the same area day after day after day.
The US did some work with a GPS future soldier system to track the movements of its soldiers, the simple fact is if your patrolling a village, theres only so much variation you can do, especialy if 8 different infantry forces have been deployed to the same area over the past 4 years, you might not be repeating your route, but you have no way of knowing if the blokes who went home sixteen months ago ever went this way.
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One of the problems with LSVs is that, owing to a lack of space for fuel, ammunition, etc. they are only really suitable for short-range operations. They could, I suppose be very useful for raids (fast in, fast out, that kind of thing).
I know that 24 Airmobile Brigade used Longline LSVs a few years ago but apparently they did not prove robust enough for intensive helicopter work. Whether modern vehicles of that type are tougher, I’m not sure. I think I read an article not so long ago which suggested that our special forces still had some.
The last I heard was the 24 Airmobile Longlines had been renamed Cobras or something equally silly and were being used by various display and recruiting teams, the picture is a Longline at a recruiting show.
The Phobos seems to have been proven on the demanding off road competition circuit so who knows, the only thing I would add is that as vehicles get heavier, especially with the LPPV starting at 7.5tonnes, maybe there is an opening for something a bit faster than the AMTP’s or ‘banana splits’ buggies as I remember them!
Showing my age there, does anyone else remember the banana splits?
Before anyone says, I know they aren’t the Supacat ones!
Not sure its worth developing anything new when we have the Springers in the system now
MikeW
Thats kind of what I was thinking, if we were fighting an enemy with identifiable supply lines these would be pretty awesome to interdict them.
Set up a staging ground 100 miles into the desert and raid enemy supply lines at will.
Unfortunatly, the Taliban dont have identified supply lines we could cut with these.
Dear Admin
I think we should contact our sources who are still in the mob and see if we can get a supacat based, squaddie filled version of the Banana Splits opening credits ! That would go viral on youtube in seconds……
Jed, like the idea of a banana splits video, better than lady bloody ga-ga