Replacing the Quad Bike ATV — Requirements
In Gauge
If we use the double CDS as a defining constraint, the limiting dimensions are 1.22 m wide and 2.54m long, about the same as the in-service Yamaha Grizzly 450’s.
The vehicles described below all fit within that gauge.
| Vehicle | Length (m) | Width (m) | Height (m) | Kerb Weight (kg) | Payload (kg) | Towing (kg) |
| Yamaha Grizzly 450 | 1.99 | 1.09 | 1.12 | 267 | 210 | |
| DTV Shredder | 1.19 | 0.69 | 0.58 | 114 | 130 | 230 |
| Fresia F-18 | 1.99 | 1.04 | 0.85 | 540 | 400 | 500 |
| Mattro Ziesel | 1.39 | 1.22 | 1.62 | 350 | 500 | |
| Rokon Ranger | 380 | 900 | ||||
| MTT-154 | 2.23 | 0.58 | 0.64 | 290 | 226 | 1,400 |
DTV Shredder
The DTV Shredder, from Canada, is a leisure and utility-tracked skateboard, now available in an electric version.
As can be seen, it is quite compact and easy to transport, less than 600 mm high with the handlebars folded.
With air despatch in mind, three could be carried on a double CDS.
Although it can only carry 120 kg, it can tow approximately 250 kg.
DTV started with a petrol engined version but has now moved to an all-electric drivetrain. This provides 2 hours of run time with a maximum speed of just under 50 kph.
Chinese knock-off versions are available, including a sit-down petrol engined configuration.
One might be forgiven for thinking it is a toy, and it is certainly mostly aimed at the sports utility market, but its low noise, small size, and reasonable towing capacity means it should not be written off.
The two-hour battery duration is an obvious limiting factor, although they are hot swappable.
Fort IT Horizon Tractor
At the other end of the speed spectrum that the DTV Shredder, a tracked sub-compact tractor option is the Fort-IT Horizon
Top speed is slightly more than a snail, but of towing capacity and good terrain accessibility is a priority, it would be a good option.
Fresia F-18
This vehicle has quite a long heritage, used in mountainous terrain, but it is still made in Italy by Fresia.
It could be a straight swap for a quad bike ATV if a reduction in speed could be accepted.
On the upside, it can carry 400 kg and tow 500 kg, so in return for lower speed, there is a potential for more capacity in any given combination.
Dimensions are 1.040 m width and 1.915 m length.
With four-wheel steering, the F-18 is quite nimble.
Whilst they are never going to win any speed races, they are faster than a compact tractor.
They have also been fitted with a roll bar
Geier Series 60
The Geier Series 60 is a specialist tracked vehicle for primary use in the viticulture industry, steep slops and narrow gaps.
It is 1.1 m wide, 2.18 m high, and weighs 1.18 tonnes empty. With a maximum speed of 10 kph, you would be faster walking, but they have an impressive towing and carrying capacity.
A rear mounted tipping load bed can be fitted, but this would exceed the gauge length.
Among the numerous agricultural implements that can be fitted, the forklift would be the most useful in a military context, shown below on the slightly larger 80 series (although the Series 60 can use it as well)
It could be used for unloading pallets or pallet boxes from trucks, and simply dropped at the destination. With a pallet, the overall length would take it out of gauge, but by using folding forks, it is within.
The Camisa TP580 is a similar vehicle.
Kubota B1181
The Kubota B1181 is an example of a sub-compact tractor, at 635 kg, its midpoint PTO betrays its heritage as a ride-on mower.
At 2.36 m long, it is quite close to the gauge length, but at 0.94m wide, is well within the limit. A road legal version is also available.
The towing capacity is 650 kg.
Sub-compact tractors like the Kubota B1 offer a wide range of front and rear attachments including forestry winches, post drivers, loading shovels, clearance blades, backhoes, pallet forks, demolition grapples, root grapples, plate compactors, and grader blades.
A backhoe could be a useful attachment for digging in.
When fitted, the backhoe and tipper bucket would take it out of gauge, but for transport, they can be moved separately.
These would all need to be carried on a separate CDS pallet for air despatch, and attached once on the ground after de-rigging.
Mattro Ziesel
The Mattro Ziesel was originally developed as an off-road wheelchair, but it has been developed by some partner organisations for usage in agriculture
One such example is the Aebi EC-170, which has a front-mounted PTO.
With a 60-degree side slope, low ground pressure, and a top speed of 35kph, they are mobile over extreme terrain. With a low centre of gravity, integral folding roll bar and four-point harness, they are potentially safer than a quad bike ATV, and there is even a road-legal version.
Their towing ability is equally impressive, over 500 kg.
The vehicle is 1.32m long (plus 77 mm for the towing coupling) and 1.22m wide, height to the top of the ROPS is 1.62m.
Like all electric designs, battery life is a key limiting factor to employment, 3 hours for this one.
Hawe Mattro has developed a more compact version as a base platform for UGV developers, including Dhiel, as part of the Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (IMUGS) demonstration.
It is too wide for CDS, but use a folding chair. Because it is battery-powered, it should be OK to rig vertically so it would fit within the constraints of a double CDS, thus, included in the ‘in gauge’ category.
Mira Cingolino
The Mira Cingolino is a tracked sub compact tractor from Italy.
At 910 mm over tracks wide, 1,800 mm long and weighing less than 600 kg, it would be a comfortable load for a double CDS. Unlike a quad bike ATV, this has a three-point rear lift and a PTO for attachments and tools.
A Rollover Protection System can also be fitted, but it is an excruciatingly slow and noisy ride!
MTT-154
I wrote about this a while ago, and think it is quite an interesting and well-designed concept that sits somewhere between a tracked utility vehicle and a tractor unit.
The MTT-154 is an electric all-terrain tracked ‘tug unit’ that can be used singly or connected, and operated as a ride-on or via remote controls, used to push, pull or carry loads and trailers.
One of the unique aspects of the design is the ability to connect multiple units for a greater payload. They can be connected inline (like a snake), side by side, or in a quad configuration.
The side-by-side configuration can also have a load bed platform between them, similar to the Milrem Themis. The difference between this and the Milrem unit is that the centre is not fixed.
Because they are just under 600 mm wide, they are very transportable. For example, three could easily be carried abreast in either Merlin or Chinook and because they are only 650 mm high, three can also be stacked. With stacking, a Merlin could carry eighteen, a Chinook, 27, with a couple of tonnes of payload margin, or combinations that include trailers.
When arranged down the centre of the cargo area as a stack of three, on either helicopter, it would leave enough room for seated personnel on the seats, 6 in a Merlin and 9 in a Chinook.
For air despatch,
The unit is a single-track device, powered by lithium-ion battery packs. 1 battery provides up to 4 hours (35 km) of runtime, with three allowing up to 12 hours of runtime or a 105 km range.
With three batteries fitted, a single unit weighs 290 kg.
The system can also be used to supply export power for power tools or other battery charging.
Batteries can be quickly swapped, and unlike the two-wheel tractor, cannot be heard from 3 weeks away, top speed is also a more respectable 24kph.
A single unit can carry up to 250 kg on the load bed and tow 1.4 tonnes on a flat surface, reduced to 450 kg in extreme terrain.
The video below shows a double unit towing a ski trailer, the trailer could be used for seating or stores. This configuration would be comfortable for a Merlin.
Rokon Ranger Two-Wheel Drive Motorcycle
The Rokon sidecar can be easily attached using a single quick tun bolt
What makes it attractive, apart from the additional 270 kg payload, is the ability to carry it on top of the motorcycle for transport and then attach it when clear of the helicopter.
In the same footprint as a quad ATV, it can carry two people and close to 400 kg of stores, it can also tow 900 kg. This is better than a quad ATV.
Out of Gauge
Yanmar AC21
I am not 100% sure if Yanmar makes these any longer, but the diesel AC21 (and similar models) was a capable and compact machine, and only slightly out of gauge.
Weighing 830 kg, it was 2.33m long, 1.25m wide, and 1.82m high to ROPS.
It has a rear-mounted PTO, so it could potentially be used with PTO-driven trailers for additional mobility.
Reek ATV
Loglogic Tooltrak
The Loglogic Tooltrak is a compact-tracked tractor and tool carrier
What makes the Tooltrak interesting is its short length, 2.48m including the front linkage. It has enough power to tow a 105 mm Light Gun and is short enough that it and the gun could be carried inside a Merlin.
At 2.149m high, it would be too high for internal carriage unless the cab was replaced with a folding ROPS. It weights 1.3 tonnes and the width over the tracks is 1.64m
The RNLI use them for lifeboat launch and recovery.
Three Axle Quad Bike ATV
Sub-Compact Tractor
Sub-compact tractors can be considered a more conventional one-for-one replacement for quad bike ATVs than the two-wheel tractor.
Reduced-width sub-compact tractors are a specific niche category used for vineyards and orchards, but one that provides options smaller than 48″ wide.
Example manufacturers include Pazagilla, John Deere, Farmtrac, Branson Tractors, Claas, Landini, LS Tractors, Zetor, Bad Boy, Star Tractors, Shibaura, New Holland, Tym, Kioti, Kubota, Captain, Massey Ferguson, Solis, Iseki, and BCS
Although it can only tow approximately 350 kg, it is quite compact when folded, easily two per single CDS pallet, although it only has a two-hour runtime.
MTT-154
I wrote about this a while ago, and think it is quite an interesting and well-designed concept.
The MTT-154 is an electric all-terrain tracked ‘tug unit’ that can be used singly or connected, and operated as a ride-on or via remote controls, used to push, pull or carry loads and trailers.
One of the more interesting aspects of the design is the ability to connect multiple units together for a greater payload. They can be connected inline (like a snake), side by side, or in a quad configuration.
The side-by-side configuration can also have a load bed platform between them, similar to the Milrem Themis. The difference between this and the Milrem unit is that the centre is not fixed, so can be added after digging.
At 23″ wide and 88″ long, two could be carried side by side on a double CDS skid board, and because they are so low, at 25″ high, they could easily be stacked, like the two-wheel tractor A400M configuration, but much more versatile and with extreme mobility.
The unit is a single-track device, powered by a number of lithium-ion battery packs. 1 battery provides up to 4 hours (35 km) of runtime, with three allowing up to 12 hours of runtime or a 105 km range. The system can also be used to provide export power for power tools or other battery charging.
Batteries can be quickly swapped, and unlike the two-wheel tractor, cannot be heard from 3 weeks away, top speed is also a more respectable 24kph.
A single unit can carry up to 250 kg on the load bed and tow 1.4 tonnes on a flat surface, reduced to 450 kg in extreme terrain.
There are some great videos of it in action on their website, it is a gem of a vehicle.
STORAGE and TRAILERS
and when fitted
PTO-driven pumps, generators, compressors, and welders are available, extending the versatility of the two-wheel or compact tractor, and reducing the number of engines used for any given task.
Sub-Compact Excavator
Although a backhoe excavator could be fitted to a sub-compact tractor, a dedicated machine would provide more versatility.
The 875 kg JCB 8008 CTS micro excavator is designed for small spaces at 700 mm wide, and so fits within CDS constraints, although it would be at the top end of allowable weight.
The width would not be a problem, but the overall length would be to the 2.4-metre limit and so, like the Kubota sub-compact tractor described above, would need testing as suitable.
Each of the attachments shown in the image below would be a useful addition.
The 380 kg Komatsu PC01-1 is another, and smaller, example.
Sub-Compact Bulldozer
The Struck Magnatrac RS1000, despite its rather amusing appearance, is surprisingly capable, the newer RT1150 has similar dimensions.
It can be fitted with rubber tracks, a rear ripper blade, a number of different dozer blades, front excavator buckets, and even a backhoe kit with a digging depth of 2m.
The video below gives a good overview.
There are more capable machines in the Struck range, but they go right to the 48″ width limit, so have excluded them from this post.
The tracked sub-compact tractors described above could also be fitted with a dozer/clearance blade.
Sub Compact Wheeled Loader
Beyond the major construction manufacturers, there are also a number of less well-known brands that continue to thrive in this sector; Avant, Multi One, Sherpa and Norcar, for example.
The Avant 225 can lift 350 kg to a height of 1.4m.
With a folding ROPS and no attachments fitted, within CDS limits.
It can be fitted with a wide range of attachments, brushes, excavators, pallet forks, snow clearance blades, augers, post drivers, and winches for example.
Stand on Loader
Most conventional skid steer or tracked loaders tend to be quite heavy, so the industry has responded by creating stand-on versions to reduce weight. Ditch Witch, Bobcat, Sherpa, Wacker Neuson, Kanga, and Vermeer, all have a range of models.
Most of these are still beyond CDS limits.
Because of the unique method by which it changes attachments, the Ditch Witch Zahn is an unusual machine in this regard, it fits.
Ditch Witch has a wide range of industrial strength attachments for the Zahn.
Other
Walk behind tandem vibratory rollers, plate compactors, dumpsters, and other portable construction plant are small and light enough for CDS, although they will, of course, not be as capable as larger models.
A couple of interesting products do stand out, the Brokk 70 demolition robot and 954 BBT Mini Transporter because they are both well realised and compact enough to fit inside a double CDS.
When stowed for transport, they are very compact, and a larger variant, the Brokk 11 would also fit.
There is a wide range of construction and demolition attachments available
Brokk also has a defence and security division, but none of the platforms at this link would fit inside a double CDS.
The BBT mini transporter starts with a single base unit.
And then, similar to Boxer, can have several modules fitted to cover a range of different site tasks. Cranes, mixers, backhoe, dumpsters
Weapons and Systems
Using door bundles, CDS and equipment carried on the person, parachute forces can make use of 81 mm mortars, hand-held HVM, Javelin ATGW, .50 Cal HMG, and 40 mm GMG.
This is a not insignificant amount of violence, but still limited in range, endurance, and effects.
And no modern weapon system is light.
Without mobility support, there will always be limits to the amount of ammunition available and the distance parachute forces can influence beyond the landing site, no matter how supremely fit individual soldiers are.
Expanding transport options achieves many things;
- Increases area over which the parachute force can exert influence
- Increases the amount of ammunition available for existing weapons like mortars and Javelin
- Increases scope for heavier weapons to be employed
- Increases scope for complementary systems to be employed, e.g. UAS, C-UAS, and loitering munitions
Artillery and Air Defence
The 105 mm Light Gun is far too large for CDS.
Although no longer in production, the Oto Melara 105mm Mod 56 Pack Howitzer, when broken down, would actually fit. There are thousands still in service, and some have even been gifted to Ukraine, but it seems unlikely we would go second-hand shopping.
Something more modern like the Mandus Hawkeye low recoil 105 mm weapon system still has too long a barrel and hasn’t been produced in a dismounted variant.
Perhaps there is a niche for Mandus, to recreate the pack howitzer concept, a short barrel low recoil weapon that could be easily broken down into multiple components for transport
If not, a larger mortar is probably the easiest option to improve firepower.
Whilst there are many vehicles with integrated 120 mm mortar options available, in this application, it probably makes more sense to simply use a conventional system with the trailer options above.
Systems from Expal, Hirtenberger, and Thales spring to mind, with up to 10 km range in some cases, about the same as the Pack Howitzer.
Keep it simple, like the 8 km range Expal 120-MX2-SM shown in the image below, but with a narrower trailer.
120 mm mortars have a large user base and an equally diverse manufacturing and development ecosystem.
Extended range and guided natures are available, the Elbit Iron Sting or example.
This would give a parachute landed force a significant capability improvement over 81 mm mortars, and still CDS compatible.
Other non-line-of-sight complex weapons that could be included in a double CDS package include EXACTOR and Ground Lunached Brimstone.
If EXACTOR remains in service, the existing launch trailer could potentially be re-engineered to fit inside a double CDS-compatible trailer, although the guidance and supporting equipment can be quite bulky.
A precision with human-controlled terminal guidance out to a range of approximately 25km, useful for a parachute landed force?
With a shorter range, but lighter, and with flexible guidance, ground-launched Brimstone could provide the same parachute landed force with a powerful anti-armour blocking/ambush capability at greater ranges than Javelin and without the need to expose the firing point.
The Milrem Themis in the image below is too wide, long, and heavy for CDS, but the six Brimstone launcher box isn’t.
On a suitable trailer, it would be comfortably inside CDS dimension and weight constraints.
The image below shows a Hellfire II tripod launcher, but with suitable development, I wonder if the same could be done for Brimstone 3, given its similarity in external form.
The recently ordered Saab Giraffe 1x is a compact system, does not need any air conditioning and runs off standard power supplies.
Although it can be broken down into smaller sub-assemblies for carriage, I’m not sure if those sub-assemblies would fit with a single or double CDS.
Hopefully, it would, together with C-UAS effectors, the Air Defence Alerting Device (ADAD) and something like a HVM/LMM Shoulder Launched Aiming Unit or Lightweight Multiple Launcher, it would be a powerful air defence system.
Direct Fire
The LV-TEH Combat Support Platform (although slightly oversized for CDS), shows a glimpse of what could be achieved.
The 118 kg Nobles Viper gun mount uses a manually aimed 30 mm M230LF, maintaining ammunition commonality with Apache.
Closer to home, AEI has developed a cheaper and ITAR-free 30 mm automatic cannon called the Venom-LR.
The British Army has recently trialled this with an Unirobotics Trakkon RWS on a HIPPO HAWC uncrewed platoon load-carrying vehicle (just for reference, that vehicle won’t fit either)
The length is just over 2m and with a total weight of 122 kg without ammunition, not difficult for CDS.
There is a wide range of 30×113m ammunition available, so it would be a significant direct firepower uplift.
Other Systems
As long as it fits inside boxes and inside the footprint of a CDS-compatible trailer, there are no practical limitations to the types of equipment that can be carried.
Be that UAS, loitering munitions, tethered UAS, short gap crossing, Light Electronic Warfare (as shown below), medical, communications, command spaces, EOD robots, UGV, CBRN detection equipment, airfield lighting or air traffic control.
Summary and Thoughts
The amount of time and resources we spend on this should be proportional to the value we ascribe to parachuting capability in general.
I appreciate this can be quite a polarising subject but do think, despite what the Russians did in Ukraine, parachuting retains a broad applicability to contemporary UK defence and is therefore worthy of future investment.
And when I say investment, I don’t mean Ajax or Boxer size investment, I mean some better trailers’ investment.
There also has to be an ongoing commitment to incremental improvement, finding value in better load securing on a trailer might not be as attractive to careers as the big ticket items and high-level concepts, but it is no less worthy of intellectual investment.
C-130 has gone, and C-17 is always in demand elsewhere, no point in complaining about it, the future of 16 Airborne Brigade is the A400M.
Until we invest in a large vehicle despatch platform for the A400M, CDS or double CDS weights and dimensions are the absolute and undeniable constraint.
16 Airborne Brigade is not just the Parachute Regiment, engineering, signals, medical, logistics, and artillery personnel also wear a maroon beret.
Without stores and equipment, and reliant on what can be bundled out the door or carried on a soldier’s back, there is a large credibility gap to be addressed.
Stick with Quads
As much as I love the idea of each one of those quad bike ATV alternatives, especially the Fresia F-18, MTT-154 and Matros Ziesel, the quad bike is here to stay. Until battery systems improve, the energy density of fossil fuels counts for a lot when every kg counts.
We should still be getting experience with these novel systems, but our priority should be to achieve some almost imperceptible improvements with the Yamaha’s, i.e. racks and storage boxes, including Rotopax fuel and water containers.
Be Obsessive about Trailers
Accepting the longevity of the quad, the primary focus should be on working with a manufacturer to create a modular and adaptable trailer that maximises the space allowed by a double CDS.
There might not be a huge addressable market, but this is fairly basic design and manufacturing.
Trailer Frame and Deck
A flat deck sized to accommodate two 1.1mx1.1m pallets or a 2.16m × 1m pallet box would provide maximum load space.
This size also retains broad dimensional compatibility with Zarges K470, Peli ISP2, and CP Cases Amazon Rotomoulded Cases, in addition to being able to support most of the examples of small engineering plant and systems described above.
Pull-out ramps (like ATMP) would also allow small wheeled or tracked plants and pallets to be loaded without a hoist or crane.
Like this excellent design from Off Road Designs in Australia.
The deck itself would benefit enormously from using something like the Koller Engineering floor system with load-securing fixture rails.
This would allow various tie-down clips and lashing fixtures to be used. Although this has origins in the disabled mobility sector, they have been rigorously tested and assured against significant impact loads for wheelchairs and seats. The Supacat Jackal uses them.
It might also prove useful to embed the 10cmx10cm inter-stacking pattern that Peli ISP2 and CP Amazon cases use to provide lateral stability.
And Molle panels everywhere, of course.
With a flat deck, the trailer could be double stacked for air despatch if required.
Trailer Coupling and Undercarriage
If the trailer coupling was removable using captive split pins, it could be stowed under the deck for air despatch. This allows the deck size to be maximised whilst still compliant with the maximum length allowed by a double CDS.
Twin wheels (preferably the same as the quad bikes) should be underneath the deck, not to the side. This would result in a higher deck, with an attendant reduction in stability, but it is the only way to maintain load space without exceeding CDS width limits.
The rear of the undercarriage frame should have a secondary towing hitch pintle, so another trailer can be daisy-chained if the towing vehicle has enough power.
With an increasing focus in the High North, it would also be worthwhile to have the ability to replace wheels with skis, and whilst we are at it, helicopter slinging and pontoon attachment points (like the Pac Rat trailer from the USA)
For commonality, those pontoons could be from the in-service Infantry Assault Bridge, compatible with the new and various Easibridge systems
Build Out From There
Without wishing to sound like a trailer-obsessed weirdo (stand fast you lot), it really is the foundational element of any means of exploiting CDS further.
I am also not a fan of making the trailer too integrated with equipment and systems because the more you do that, the more you make any capability contingent on not having a flat tyre.
So, any additional capability should be demountable from the trailer or self-propelled, capable of being used independently of it.
This is why we should pay attention to boxes, pallets, and trailer ramps and fittings, but you knew that.
With a suitable longer-term plan, capabilities could be built out from boxes, trailers and demountable vehicles that span the full gamut of 16AAB capabilities, like Lego.
Everything from applied violence to deployable runway lights.
None of this kit, especially the engineering plant, is what could reasonably be described as ‘heavy duty’ so it must be seen in the context of being better than hand tools.
And finally, none of our kit is getting any lighter, whilst a quad bike trailer is not a MAN SX, it is better than Shanks’ Pony
Or even a quad ATV.
At the smaller scale, forestry log haulers can be used that use the log itself as a component of the trailer.
At the smaller end of the scale, and with no hydraulics, the Kellfri trailer shown below is an example.
The video below shows one such design from Kranman in Sweden.
Expanding on this basic approach, various alternative fittings and fixtures are available, some that are screwed or riveted in, and some specifically designed for the particular frame system.
Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment (Molle) panels and strips could be used on vertical load restraint frames. These are available from online sources, although not as many in the UK and USA.
More sophisticated options might be worth exploring, the point of this is to test and prototype using readily available materials and components.
The first would be to optimise the load bed for likely items being carried, an NLAW, stretcher, lightweight bridge or Peli ISP2/Amazon box. The latter uses a 10 cm x 10 cm grid to provide lateral stability, inter-stacking trays can be purchased and screwed directly onto a load bed.
A Koller Engineering floor system with load-securing fixture rails would provide even more options, although probably more sensible to use the fixture rails and either screw them directly into the load bed or frame or, if a router was available, recess them in the plywood (or other sheet material that formed the load bed).
Although these rail systems have origins in the disabled mobility sector, they have been rigorously tested and assured against significant impact loads for wheelchairs and seats.
I have used another image collage below to illustrate the abundance of load-restraining rail systems that are available, none of this is difficult to source.
Buying a larger trailer opens up the options, the Logic OXR for example.
This would enable a larger and self-contained piece of machinery to be towed by a quad bike.
The sub 500 kg excavator market is somewhat rarefied, but there are a couple worth looking at.
First is the 380 kg Komatsu PC01-1
Would you be able to keep the smile off the faces of onlookers?
Second, the Struck Magnatrac RS1000, despite its rather amusing appearance, is capable.
It can be fitted with rubber tracks, a rear ripper blade, several dozer blades, and even a backhoe kit with a digging depth of 2m.
One of these with a larger trailer would be at the upper limit for one of our quad bikes to tow.
Quad Bike Towable — Summary
Keeping weight down and dimensions small severely limits options, and one would have to seriously question whether any of these devices would be appropriate for light role forces. I have included them to show the possibilities, even though I do quite like the look of the Magnatrac RS1000.
Interestingly, in terms of weight and dimensions, those items described above could easily be carried as an internal load on a Chinook and Merlin, and a parachute air despatch platform.
They can be carried as an underslung load by all in-service helicopters, from Wildcat to Chinook. What they lack in duty cycle and capability, they certainly are not deficient in the portability stakes.
I can’t say I am a fan of the direct attachment approach.
The tow-behind devices look simple, easy to operate and cheap, but they take up a valuable towing hitch.
The larger trailer and standalone machine provide the same potential capability/capacity as the tow behind. When offloaded, the trailer can be used for other tasks whilst the machine is being operated, and you can not but be impressed by the Magnatrac.
It must also be noted that pilling up earth to form a berm/shell scrape with a small dozer blade like on the Magnatrac would produce fast temporary protection from shell fragments.
Could their utility and versatility be improved?
Instead of lashing stores to racks with bungee cords and webbing straps, a more design-led approach might exploit modular systems like Rotopax fuel and water containers.
Or Molle panels.
Other storage boxes, racks, and load bed extenders are readily available.
At just under eight hundred Pounds, the Quadcrate Butterfly front and rear racks fold out to secure longer items, mortar barrels, telescopic masts or NLAW.
And for those that work with military working dogs…
The same company also makes a barbed wire dispenser that fits the back of the vehicle.
LV-TEH in Latvia makes a similar range of storage racks.
Building industry modular storage containers like the Milwaukee Packout with compatible mounting racks are being increasingly used by outdoor enthusiasts.
The Estonian Iron Baltic ‘mini motion’ package turns a quad into a light-duty bulldozer.
Atlok in Finland offer a similar system but with different blade and bucket options.
A power broom can be fitted, making use of a standalone engine, useful for clearing small debris from runways.
Flail mowers, stump grinders and soil stabilisation solution sprayers might find some applicability in niche runway clearance and development roles, all available for ATVs.
Wild Hare Manufacturing in the US makes a system that turns an ATV into a lightweight loader, with a bucket or pallet forks.
None of these would be permanently attached, needing to be assembled on the ground, and would take up their space in a double CDS position on an aircraft.
Are these going to dig an AS90 pit, no, of course not.
But in the spirit of finding versatility with what we have, and doing things even marginally quicker than with hand tools, they could be considered.
Their 150 kg max payload is quite low and the stepped body design (to keep their width the same as the quad bike) means the width at the bottom is small, not optimised for pallets or larger loads.
Longer and higher capacity trailers are available, single or twin axle, aluminium or MDPE body, tipping or fixed, wheels inboard or out.
Using a flatbed design with demountable side rails as shown below would allow them to be rigged two per 96″ CDS, and the model shown, if designed with a sliding or demountable hitch arm, would be small enough to fit inside the single 48″ CDS footprint or four per double.
Low-density loads like Bergen’s could be secured using tie-down points and cargo net, or with the addition of demountable side rails.
Simple things like having welded lashing rings at convenient locations can create a tangible improvement, even better with a cargo restraint system like Koller Defence supply.
Although the image below shows a simple flatbed trailer that is 4″ too wide for CDS, one imagines it would be a relatively simple engineering change to make it smaller. A twin-axle flatbed could be used for larger and heavier loads than the Logic trailers, and with a simple load bed, also rigged two high.
The LV-TEH Combat Support Platform is approximately 200 mm too wide, again, the concept is similar.
With a set of ramps, these could also be used to transport some engineering plant described below.
A similar design is shown below in a dedicated stretcher carrier version.
As all Think Defence readers know, there is a world of trailers out there, including one that can even be turned into a boat (although this particular design is four inches too wide for CDS)
With higher-density stores like ammunition, it would be relatively easy to max out on the typical maximum 700 kg payload of larger trailers, but even accounting for the weight of the trailer, it would still be within the 1 tonne maximum CDS payload. Whether an in-service quad bike ATV could tow a 1-tonne trailer is also questionable.
All that said, six quad bikes and six trailers, with a total payload of 4,200 kg, are perfectly possible for a single A400M flight. That is roughly 420 81 mm mortar bombs (assuming all packaging is generally the same weight as the bomb).
Although going somewhat against the principle of everything having multiple uses, the ATR Trailer from All Terrain Res-Q in the US does look effective.
The trailer folds for easy transport, so could be optimised for CDS compatibility.
Although not strictly a trailer, LV-TEH in Latvia (as above) also makes a folding rack that can be used to secure a casualty, although not sure how well!
Pallets and Pallet Trailers
Traditional pallets tend to be less of a concern for air despatch, they are unlikely to be handled as a unit load when on the ground, with CDS packages always weight and space optimised by the riggers.
Most standard pallets are also dimensionally incompatible or inefficient with the CDS dimensional constraints, especially the need to leave space for securing straps to the skid board. NATO or Euro pallets, at 1.2m, just don’t fit.
1mx1m pallets are available and fit quite well with a CDS skid board, but less commonly available. 1.1×1.1m plastic pallets are also available, so if pallets were required, these less standard sizes would be used.
But unless the force on the ground has some means of handling the pallet as a pallet, they are just dead weight.
When British Army airborne forces were better resourced and could airdrop larger vehicles like the Supacat ATMP, it was able to move ammunition pallets (especially those for the 105 mm Light Gun) off a landing site using dedicated pallet trailers.
To increase carrying capacity and flexibility, a pair of specially developed trailers were also introduced…
- FLPT (Fork Lift Pallet Trailer)
- SLLPT (Self-Loading Lightweight Pallet Trailer).
Although there are many variations, the basic trailer had a hydraulic tipping mechanism and pallet forks.
The driver would simply tilt the trailer into the down position, reverse onto the pallet, tilt the trailer back up, and drive away.
The maximum payload for the ‘flipit’ trailer was 1,400kg, and it could also be converted to carry three stretchers.
Demountable corner posts could also be used to form sides for loose loads, with ratchet straps used to secure the load.
A 910 Litre Water Carriage Pack (WCP) was also available.
The conversion took only a few minutes and the posts were carried on the trailer.
I don’t want this post to be a nostalgic pity party, we have to work within today’s reality, and those pallet trailers would be too wide in any case, and no one makes them either.
A similar concept is found in the fruit industry, the orchard bin and the roller trailer.
They use standard-sized wooden or plastic pallet bins and load them onto the trailer by reversing, once secured the vehicle drives away.
Other variations use chain drivers and rollers, or tilting load beds, but the overall concept is the same.
None of the solutions above would be ready to go now, each would need to be re-engineered to fit the specific CDS constraints.
It would also be possible to approach this from a single-pallet or double-pallet perspective.
Pallet boxes 1m wide and 2.16m long would fit perfectly inside the double CDS footprint.
They are available with lids, drain plugs, dividers and in various colours (thankfully).
The pallet box could simply be attached to a flatbed or roller trailer and used as a conventional trailer, or they could be demounted like a small version of a DROP/EPLS flat rack.
Although every item of stores or equipment inside the pallet box could be carried by hand, specific unit loads could be defined, packing schemes developed, and subdividers and energy-absorbing materials CNC cut.
For example, a mortar platoon could have all their equipment and an initial allocation of mortar bombs pre-packed inside the container, ready to be cleared in one go from the landing site.
I also looked at using Joint Modular Intermodal Containers (JMIC) for this, but they are too wide.