As a follow up to the recent post on two wheel transport and older posts on the Springer and ATMP all terrain load carrying vehicles this post is a look at a less well known vehicle, the Roush LAS 100 RE Balter.

In 2005 the MoD contracted with Roush Technologies Ltd to design and built an ultra lightweight all terrain load carrying vehicle that could be slung load by a Lynx helicopter and internally carried in a Chinook, the programme was called Harewood

The contract was worth £3.3m but only a very small number of vehicles entered service (less than 15) which puts the programme unit cost at over a quarter of a million pounds!

The vehicle itself was pretty impressive though.

First, it used a diesel engine so no messing about with petrol.

Second, it could carry 1,000kg and yet weighed only 800kg because of its low weight aluminium honeycomb construction by Lola

Third, it has excellent mobility, 6 wheel drive, an approach angle of 81 degrees and could be internally carried on Chinook and Merlin whilst being slung load by a Lynx.

The load bed lends itself to a variety of uses.

In 2007 Roush developed the concept into a 2 seater and a lead bed shelter, the engine was uprated to a 1.4 litre turbocharged direct injection diesel engine developing 50 Kw and 160Nm of torque. The fuel system could accept Diesel 1 and 2, JP8, JP5 and B20 bio-diesel. 

They also had a brief moment in the limelight when they were fitted with IEDD ECM equipment (Balter) and it was even considered for the Springer requirement

Roush has been through a number of changes of ownership and now trades as Revolve Engineering

They also make the MAN SV ROPS seating system and Arctic Cat diesel Quads

The LAS 100RE is still listed on their website

So, three million quid, what did we do with them?