New name for Special Ops vehicle
Late last year Defence announced that the replacement vehicle for the SASR's Afghanistan and Iraq workhorse, the Long Range Patrol Vehicle (LRPV), was to be named in honour of SASR Warrant Officer Class 2 David Nary, who was killed in an accident during mission rehearsals on 6 November, 2006.
The Nary SOV will replace the aging fleet of Land-Rover based LRPVs given hard use by Australian Special Forces. Chief of Army Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy said the Nary SOV was yet another step in achieving the Hardened and Networked Army.
"It will provide greater payload capacity with stronger drive-train, transmission and suspension components and provide an enhanced suite of command, control and communications equipment.
"Naming the vehicle after Warrant Officer Nary is important recognition of his years of dedicated service to Australian Special Forces and the Australian Army."
Warrant Officer Class 2 Nary had a long association with the vehicle mobility program within SASR and was instrumental in the continual upgrades that have been applied to the LRPV fleet over the span of its service.
However...
What General Leahy did not say is that the new vehicle, to be acquired sole source under the Redfin omnibus project, is the High Mobility Transport (HMT) 400 Supacat 4x4, all-terrain vehicle, as previously described (ADM October 2005). Thirty-one HMT 4x4s are to be acquired under this phase of Redfin with eight, including a test vehicle, to be delivered initially, presumably for service in Afghanistan, with the balance to follow. Supacat 4x4s can be reconfigured as 6x6s with the addition of extra wheels, an axle and drive shaft.
The Supacat is a novel design that has been developed using advanced air suspension and engine technology derived originally from the commercial sector. Back in September 2005 Lockheed Martin entered into a license agreement with HMT Vehicles to manufacture and sell light (4x4) and medium (6x6) tactical wheeled vehicles directly to military and government markets in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Lockheed Martin can also pursue international sales via the US FMS program.
The two seat forward control cab and the mid-mounted engine results in a compact vehicle with very good vision and good weight distribution and the ability to drive straight aboard a CH-47 Chinook. Suspension, front and rear, is double wishbone with inboard mounted air springs operating through a rocker and push rods. Twin shock absorbers for each of the large diameter wheels control the suspension even over the roughest terrain.
The suspension components are all rubber mounted onto a steel plate fabrication to make an axle assembly. These axle assemblies are joined by a deep square tube frame with rollover structure to form a complete rolling chassis frame to which cab and body variants are mounted. Variable ride heights from a minimum ground clearance of 180mm to a maximum of 530mm, combined with spring rates proportional to load, give a very comfortable ride for the crew.
The turbo-charged Cummins diesel engine and 5 speed auto-transmission is equipped with a transfer case using high and low ratios and full time 4 wheel drive. Power assisted ABS ventilated discs brakes on all wheels and transmission-parking brake gives adequate stopping power.
By Tom Muir, Canberra