Panhard’s New Light Armored Vehicle

Ever since the development of armored forces, there has been a need for light wheeled vehicles to actively support the armored force and to act in a variety of auxiliary roles. As early as 1928 the British Army tried to fulfill these requirements by using stripped-down versions of the contemporary Austin passenger cars during the trials of its Pioneer Experimental Mechanized Force. During WW 11, the idea of alight, wheeled vehicle for scouting, liaison and similar roles was taken up in the U. S. and developed into the highly SUCcessful Jeep. Since then Jeep-type vehicles have been adopted throughout the world and their widespread use shows how much they were needed. However, for all their usefulness, Jeeps and their various derivatives, or successors, have been deficient in one very important respect - they were not armored. This made them vulnerable on the battlefield to rifle fire and in internal security missions to accurately thrown stones. As a result, Jeep-type vehicles are not as effective in many circumstances as alight, wheeled armored vehicle. How effective light, wheeled armored vehicles can be was first demonstrated by the British Army during WW I1 with the DaimlerScout Car. This small, two-man vehicle was armored all around but weighed only 2.8 metric tonnes (6,174 Ibs) and proved very effective in a variety of reconnaissance and liaison roles. Since the 1950’s, the Daimler Scout Car has been replaced by a similar, but improved, vehicle called the Ferret. This has been widely used by the British Army in many different situations, from the fighting in what is now South Yemen, to patrolling more recently in Beirut as part of the Multi-National Peace-Keeping Force. However, successful prototype vehicles are always modified which increases their weight and leads to even heavier follow-on types. For instance, the original Willys Jeep had a curb weight of 2,203 Ibs, but its present day successor, the M998 HMMWV, weighs 5,100 lbs. Similarly, the 4.2-ton Ferret has been followed by the 6.12-ton Fox. The latter is much more heavily armed with a 30-mm Rarden cannon, but it no longer enjoys the advantages of small The M I 1’slow weight, 6,285 pounds unloaded and 7,807 pounds combat loaded, can be easily lifted by a variety of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Panhard foresees development of abroad family of 24 versions of this basic vehicle. size and light weight of its predecessors and is not suitable for many of the roles which they fulfilled. But the concept of the very light, wheeled armored vehicle has proven too successful to be abandoned. Thus, although the British failed to continue its development, the French Army has 15

"""I,.., p.'..". I..".."-. -... J...,...- M11 is shown with an armament package that includes the Milan antitank missile and 7.62-mm machinegun. now taken it up. As a result, L e Panhard Company designed a very light, wheeled armored vehicle which is not only new but represents a major advance over other vehicles of its type. Early Panhard Designs What Panhard have achieved with their new light vehicle is not surprising in view of their record of successful development of wheeled armored vehicles. In fact, Panhard have the world's longest record in the development of such vehicles. Recently, they produced the 8-wheeled EBR armored car which was designed soon after WW I1 and is still one of the most remarkable wheeled vehicles to be produced. It is only now being retired from service in the French cavalry regiments. Since 1960, Panhard had produced the 4-wheeled AML. (see November-December 1967 ARMOR). The AML has been used not only by the French Army, but by several others, due largely to its combination of light weight and effective armament. The AML 90 version is armed with a 90-mm gun, although its weight is only 5.5 tonnes (12,128 lb). This gave it more gunpower in relation to its weight than any other armored vehicle and it set a worldwide trend in the use of 90- mm low-pressure guns in light armored vehicles. During the past few years, Panhard have produced yet another outstanding design, the ERC-90S. (See November-December 1981 ARMOR). This 6- wheeled vehicle is also armed with a 90-mm gun, but of a much more powerful type than that mounted in the AML. As a result, it can fire not only fin-stabilized HEAT rounds but also APFSDS rounds with a muzzle velocity of 1,300 mls (4,264 fls). Yet the ERC- 90 S weighs only 7.65 tonnes (16,868 Ib). This is remarkably light in relation to its firepower and makes it the obvious choice for the French Army's equivalent of the U. S. Rapid Development Force. Panhard ULTRAV In addition to procuring the ERC-90, the French Army foresaw in 1977 the need for a much lighter wheeled armored vehicle, to which it gave the generic designation VBL, Vehicule Blinde Leger (light armored vehicle). This vehicle was capable of a wide range of missions but in particular of reconnaissance and of antitank combat with guided missiles. In response to this requirement, Panhard developed their new UltraLight Armored Vehicle, or ULTRAV-MII. that not only meets the requirements of the French Army, but also a much wider need for a versatile light armored vehicle. The basic design of the MI1 is straightforward and eminently sound. it has an integral all-steel armored body with the engine at the front, an essential characteristic for a multi-purpose vehicle as it leaves the rear of the body clear for the installation of different weapons systems or to carry troops. Aft of the engine compartment is the driver's station with another crew seat beside it. The arrangement of the rear of the body depends upon the mission. In combat configuration, the rear is occu- 16

P I L - - - - - The M l l ’ slow ground pressure of 11 Ibs. per square inch enables it to move over soft ground with ease. Reduction gears at each wheel have the effect of increasing ground clearance without adding additional height to the vehicle. pied by a gunner or missile operator and ammunition. When used as a personnel carrier, the rear provides space for up to four men. Exceptionally good access is provided by a rear door and two side doors. In addition, there are three circular roof hatches with those above the second crew member seat and above the rear of the body being used as weapon mounts. Euromissile Milan The most powerful armament carried by the MI1 is the Euromissile Milan antitank guided missile system. The missile launcher is mounted over the rear of the body and six extra missiles are carried inside. In addition to this missile system, the MI1 carries a 7.62-mm machinegun, mounted over the second crew member’s seat and 3,000 rounds of ammunition. The Franco-German Milan missile has a range of 2,000 meters and is not only the standard antitank guided weapon of the French and German infantry, but also of the British and several other European armies. An improved Milan has been produced with a larger shaped-charge warhead that can penetrate 1,060-mm of steel at optimum stand-off distance. Armed with the Milan, the MI1 constitutes a very potent and highly mobile antitank weapon system which can be effectively employed in delaying or covering force operations in support of major combat elements or by itself. Light Weight and Mobility The high mobility of the MI1 comes from the combination of its light weight and automotive characteristics. Its combat-loaded weight is 3.54 metric tonnes, or 7,807 lbs. Empty, it weighs 2.85 tonnes, or 6,284 Ibs., not much more than the basic, unarmored version of the M998 HMMWK The Mll’slight weight enables it to be air transported in relatively small cargo aircraft and to be air-lifted by more than one type of helicopter. The MI1 has a top road speed of 60 mph and a range of 470 miles. It is amphibious and swims at 3.6 mph. Water crossing preparation takes no more than two minutes, including the erection of a transparent plastic bow vane. Its power-to-weight ratio is 30 hp per metric tonne (or 27 hp per U. S. short ton). The engine is a militarized version of the 105-hp Peugeot car diesel engine and the German-made ZF transmission is also a standard, well-proven commercial product. The drive from the power unit is taken fore and aft to the four wheels which have step-down reduction gears to increase the ground clearance. All wheels are independently sprung and have disc brakes. Tires are 9.00 x 16 Michelin “run-flat” types which give a ground pressure of 11 Ib/in2 (lower than the nominal ground pressure of several battle tanks) which obviously assists the MI1 in off-road operations. Armor Protection The MI1 is fully armored and protects against 7.62-mm ball and armor-piercing ammunition. The hull is built up of high-hardness steel armor plates welded into a single unit. This is superior, weight-wise, to conventional rolled homogeneous steel armor as well as to aluminum alloy armor. The MI1 stands only 67 inches high (5’ 7”) and is fitted with two large front windows and a window in each of the three doors. The bullet-proof glass provides the same level of protection as does the armor plating. The good vision provided by the large front windows enables the driver to drive fast and safely. His vision is not limited to vision blocks or periscopes. This requirement for good driver vision was observed several years ago in the U. S. trials of the XM808 Twister armored reconnaissance vehicle, which also provided large front windows. The large windows on the MI1 also serve it well in other than combat situations. For instance, in the internal security role, the crew can observe all that is going on around their vehicle in perfect safety. There are, in fact, a large number of roles for which the MI1 is suitable, or to which it can be adapted. Its developers claim that they can see 24 different versions of the basic vehicle. In one form or another, the MI1 is likely to be widely used in the future. a

M.

IEWICZ is a consulting engineer and lecturer at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London. An advisor on armor to many nations, he participated in the U. S. Army’s Armored Combat Vehicle Technology Program and has performed studies for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Over the years, he has written 74 articles that have appeared in

ARMOR.