UK buying Bronco and renamed them Warthog

Acidshuriken SG

old news nice to be reminded that st kin can sell their stuff!

Former officers defend vehicles as Afghanistan bomb deaths investigated

Former army officers have today defended the decision to deploy Viking vehicles to southern Afghanistan as the Ministry of Defence began investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of a senior commander and a soldier.

Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe and Trooper Joshua Hammond were killed yesterday when their armoured Viking track vehicle was blown up by a “huge” bomb as their convoy was heading for Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province.

The Viking cross-country vehicles are due to be replaced in Afghanistan by more than 100 new, larger and more heavily armoured tracked vehicles to be known as Warthogs, while a further 100 Jackal all-terrain vehicles will also be purchased.

As attention focused on the Vikings, former officers defended their use and suggested that military planners have been surprised by the size of the bombs and mines the Taliban now have in their arsenal.

“You have to remember that Vikings were deployed to fill a very specific function,” said Amyas Godfrey, a former infantry officer and fellow of the Royal United Services Institute thinktank, referring to the bridges and canals of the “green zone” along the Helmand river.

The Viking is a tracked vehicle, unlike the heavier Mastiff armoured troop carrier. “You are sacrificing mobility for protection but mobility is itself a form of protection”, said Godfrey.

He said even the Mastiff had been vulnerable to roadside bombs. Charles Heyman, a military consultant and former infantry officer, said it was impossible to judge decisions and the circumstances surrounding the colonel’s death.

The MoD said the Warthogs will not be delivered until next year because they have to undergo trials and be fitted with British “subsystems”.

The Viking was introduced into Afghanistan three years ago, but last year the MoD admitted it had reached the limit of how much it could be armoured following a number of deaths involving roadside bombs. It is due to be replaced by the new Warthog vehicle next year.

Announcing the move in the Commons in December, Gordon Brown said £150m would be spent buying the new tracked personnel carriers from Singapore. The Bronco, as it is called, will be converted into armoured, all-terrain vehicles and renamed Warthog. The carrier can travel through water and hold up to 14 troops.

Brown said at the time that the Warthog would provide “improved protection for our forces”. In another move to counter the threat of roadside bombs, a new class of mine-clearing vehicles – including the Buffalo mine-protected vehicle – is also being developed. The army’s Snatch Land Rovers, which have been particularly vulnerable to attack, are also to be upgraded to a new variant – Snatch Vixen – with more power and better protection.

The first of the new vehicles should be ready to be deployed by the end of next year.

There have been a number of deaths involving Viking armoured vehicles in Afghanistan. Last month, the Grimsby district coroner, Paul Kelly, praised the MoD for identifying a problem with the vehicle and taking steps to solve it after hearing that Trooper Robert Pearson, from the Queen’s Royal Lancers regiment, was killed when driving a vehicle hit by an improvised explosive device in Helmand on 21 April last year.

In January, an inquest heard that armour to combat mines was being flown out to Afghanistan to be added to the military vehicles following the death of a Royal Marine.

The move came after Corporal Damian Mulvihill, of 40 Commando Royal Marines, was killed in an explosion while travelling in the front seat of a Viking on 20 February last year in Helmand. Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Teare, of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, told a hearing in Plymouth that the MoD expected all 50 vehicles being used in Afghanistan to be fitted with new armour after numerous “mine strikes” prompted urgent requests for the undercarriages to be reinforced. Teare said the Viking was initially designed to defend small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades and therefore most of the armour was on the top of the vehicle.

lionnoisy SG

The details of Warthogs are here...

Air--cond!!ST Eng can fit what UK MOD wants.To let UK industries

to share some prifits,ST have to give them some biz as a package.

I salute UK MOD dare to take a product from her ex--Colony and a small

dot country.MP of UK shall be saluated to put the lives of their soldiers

before national pride.In other countries,whether east and west,there are

too many MP just want everythings to be made on their own soil.

There is no way that a foreign country to make weapons for them,

not to mention a small dot country.In this regard,the British is smarter

than Aussie.

BTW,Uk is placing more grenades orders lah..

ST Engineering's Land Systems Arm Wins Another 40mm Ammunition Contract From UK MOD

ST Kinetics' WARTHOG - Working For The Troops

http://www.stengg.com/home/home.aspx

http://www.janes.com/events/exhibitions/dsei2009/

Thursday, 10 September, 2009

Warthog on track

quote

"Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK) is on schedule to deliver the first three Warthog armoured all-terrain tracked vehicles later this month and all 115 vehicles are due to be delivered in 2010. These will replace the BvS 10 Viking vehicles currently deployed in Afghanistan by the British Army, which took them over from the Royal Marines.

The UK MoD placed the £150 million-plus contract for the Warthog programme late last year under Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) funding, with four versions being procured – troop carrier, command post, ambulance and repair/recovery. In order to de-risk the programme prior to production, STK built a Warthog testbed, which incorporated many improvements. This underwent a successful 2,000km-plus trial in the United Arab Emirates this year, where it operated in temperatures of up to +47°C.

Warthog is a further development of the Bronco, which has been in service with the Singapore Armed Forces since 2001 in many configurations and has a typical gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 16 tonnes. The Warthog has a GVW of up to 19 tonnes, with a total internal volume of 13m3.

To meet the demanding UK Warthog requirement, the Bronco has been upgraded in many areas, including installation of airconditioning in front and rear units, and a new armour package that includes spall liners, appliqué armour and bar armour.

The roof is fitted with a Platt mount that can be armed with a 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun or an 40mm automatic grenade launcher. It also has enhanced automotive cooling, an improved dust filtration system and an electrical system uprated to 450A. STK is already studying a number of further improvements to the vehicle at the subsystem level.

Thales UK is the systems integrator for the Warthog and STK will send the vehicles complete with armour to Swansea, where they will be fitted with UK-specific equipment such as Bowman digital communications equipment and electronic devices to counter improvised explosive devices.

Other UK suppliers include Gallay for the air-conditioning system, and Permali Gloucester for the appliqué armour."--EOQ

Warthog on track

references---

UK confirms to buy more than 100 Bronco worths 150 m pounds last 83 7,317 Lock UK to Buy Bronco last Military Nuts

lionnoisy SG

(Lion note---I wander how US army Stryker etc can be operated in flooding areas)

Desert,in rainy season,is usualy flooeded!!read below.

zao bao news only 7 days life span.

summary(my translartion)

改装后的运兵车可载12人，比骏马少4人。(Warthog can ferry 12 persons,4 less than Bronco)

赫莫说，“疣猪”最大优点是负载量高，比维京高出近50%，达6公吨，这也比原装“骏马”高出一两公吨。(lion note--according to internet ,Jez Hermer was a former Maj in UK Viking.Support group,currently STK consultants.)

He said pay load of Warthog at 6000 kg, is 50% higher than Viking.

6000 kg pay load is 1 to 2000 kg higher than Bronco.)

他透露，部队每次行动一般长达四、五十天(Jez said -- mission lasts for 40--50 days)

新科工程国际行销执行副总裁蔡重涛说，“疣猪”承载量还未到达顶限，若有需要，可再添三四公吨。(ST K Vice President said payloads of Warthog can increase by 3000

to 4000 kg)

阿富汗地形复杂，南边是辽阔沙漠，到了10月雨季，战车往往因积水不能通行

(Jez said--South Afgan is desert,but it will be flooded in rainy season)

(Lion note---I wander how US army Stryker can be operated in flooding areas)

http://www.zaobao.com.sg/sp/sp090929_012.shtml

ST Kinetics AFV first export .From Bronco to Warthog and station in Afgan.

新科动力改装战车成功首次出口
“骏马”变“疣猪”进驻阿富汗

（2009-09-29

蔡永伟　报道

为使英国能紧急应付在阿富汗维和任务的需求，新科动力仅用数个月时间把所出产的“骏马”全地形双厢履带运输车（Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier），按照英国军方要求改装成能适应阿富汗险峻环境的“疣猪”（Warthog）战车。

首辆“疣猪”军车昨天在波斯陶路的新科动力（ST Kinetics）公司举行的出厂仪式上亮相。

百多辆“疣猪”年底交英国

英国所订购的100多辆“疣猪”年底可交货，预料明年中进驻阿富汗，逐步取代目前在当地执行任务的BvS-10“维京”（Viking）战车，增强9100多名英国前线士兵的保护。

新科动力去年12月获得英国国防部总值1亿5000万英镑（3亿3000万新元）合约，为在阿富汗执行任务的部队供应100多辆新科动力制造的骏马战车。

为适应阿富汗的作战环境，英军要求新科动力把骏马改装为“疣猪”，安装炮管、额外护甲等。由于交货期限非常紧迫，新科动力甚至“先斩后奏”，在和英军正式签订合同前已自行购买战车组件，迅速展开改装工作。

“疣猪”共有四种款型，包括运兵车、救护车、指挥车和抢修车。改装后的运兵车可载12人，比骏马少4人。

在英国皇家海军陆战队服务23年、并曾到阿富汗南部赫尔曼德省（Helmand）执行半年任务的退役军官赫莫（Jez Hermer）少校受访时说：“塔利班是非常聪明的敌人，他们清楚各种战车的性能，也能很快掌握我们的行踪，预先埋置地雷和土制炸弹（IED），因此有必要为前线军人提供更好保护。”

目前在新科动力负责“疣猪”战车项目的赫莫，曾在英国花了近八年参与维京改装工作。他说，维京战车在装置额外护甲装备后，车厢变得狭小，能运载的武器也减少，速度和爬坡能力减弱。因此，英军急需负载量较大的战车替代。

新科动力总裁萧志权透露，英国国防部官员去年7月到我国了解“骏马”性能，随后两个月展开各种测试，同年12月就与新科动力签订合约，前后不到半年。

“疣猪”最大优点是负载量高

赫莫说，“疣猪”最大优点是负载量高，比维京高出近50%，达6公吨，这也比原装“骏马”高出一两公吨。

他透露，部队每次行动一般长达四、五十天，战车在这段期间无法经常添油，“疣猪”的高负载量意味着战车可载更多油。“疣猪”也可添置额外护甲，部队也能携带更多弹药和武器，提高士兵的战场生存机会。

新科工程国际行销执行副总裁蔡重涛说，“疣猪”承载量还未到达顶限，若有需要，可再添三四公吨。

负载量增加并不会影响战车的机动性。“疣猪”同“骏马”一样可爬60%坡度，并在30%斜坡横行，也能跨1公尺高障碍和2公尺宽壕沟。它的公路最高时速65公里、渡水时速5公里。

对阿富汗作战环境了如指掌的赫莫也说，阿富汗地形复杂，南边是辽阔沙漠，到了10月雨季，战车往往因积水不能通行；北边则是地形险峻的山脉，战车要翻山越岭不容易。

阿富汗的恶劣气候也是作战挑战之一。那里夏天气温可高达摄氏49度，冬天则可低至零下18度。

因此，为确保“疣猪”能在炎热或沙尘暴滚滚的环境中继续驰骋，新科工程师今年夏天曾到阿拉伯联合酋长国测试它的沙漠作战能力。他们也到过欧洲雪山测试“疣猪”在寒冷山岭的作战能力。

新科动力明年将派工程师随英军到阿富汗，确保“疣猪”出现故障时可进行最即时抢修工作。12名英军人员已在本地受训。

这是新加坡首次成功出口自制战场用途军车到前线执行任务。新科动力透露，除了英国，新加坡也出口“骏马”给另一个亚洲国家，但拒绝透露是哪一国.

@@@@@@@@@@@@

but Jez Hermer,current ST K consultant and then a Major in Royal Marines' Armoured Support Company at Bovington, Dorset,

said Viking not bad...until he knew ST K product better or until he was

hired by ST K!!

Arapahoe SG

i would suggest you hold off poping champagne until their mission is accomplished. This is arrogant of you to start bragging in an on going war.

lionnoisy SG

Deleted by Mod

lionnoisy SG

Deleted by mod, country bashing.

Jack412 SG

do you know what WANKER means ?

Arapahoe SG

You have already reported the deal quite sometime back.....there is nothing to further elaborate....As for how relevant in a war, In battlefield enemy too will adapt against bronco. The only reason right now is that bronco have not seemed action so there are no reference to make. ground enemy fighters have to figure out.

like i say there is no ego to stroke. So stop bragging. It make you look like an idiot.

Pro-Socialism SG

Arapahoe SG

saw this article last month but here are some of the insert....

To ascertain the vehicle’s performance in extreme heat and dust conditions, the company had put a 19 tonne Warthog test-bed vehicle through desert trials in U.A.E. this summer.

Vehicle deliveries will commence end 2009, with the majority to be delivered in 2010. Twelve UK Armed Forces trainers have already begun operation and maintenance training in Singapore to allow them to start bringing the vehicles into service shortly after delivery.

I thought they would have done the trial test before making the decision?

I supposed sometime next year we would be able to see warthog in action from Youtude.

Sepecat SG

Lets see how the Warthog performs in the real world. Don't be disappointed if if does not meet the high expectations of the British Army. Also , do not forget that there are people in the BA itching for a poorly performing Warthog & lobbying instead for the Viking's latest incarnation , the BvS 10 Mk2.

With respect to mines or IEDs , no vehicle can be 100 % safe from them. Even the Merkava is not immune. One can always put together a mine or IED to overmatch the target.

Desert trials in UAE does not seem to match the high altitude and otherwise very dissimilar terrain of Afganistan where the vehicles will actually be used.

Arapahoe SG

With respect to mines or IEDs , no vehicle can be 100 % safe from them. Even the Merkava is not immune. One can always put together a mine or IED to overmatch the target.

Desert trials in UAE does not seem to match the high altitude and otherwise very dissimilar terrain of Afganistan where the vehicles will actually be used.

I was wondering maybe eventually the left over Warthog will be politically handover to the new afghan military ?

Arapahoe SG

Saw this news clip.....from UK news.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A6REo6t_hI

Nuad SG

sincerely hope our broncos can deliver sufficent protection for the UK soldiers.