At
Eurosatory 2012, the French Company Renault Trucks Defense manufacturer
of armoured vehicle and military tactical trucks will unveil a new VAB
6x6 armoured personnel carrier named VAB Mark 3. This vehicle is not
a simple upgrade, but it is a new vehicle design that is fully adapted
to new threats on the battlefield such as IEDs and mine blast. The aim
of this vehicle is to provide a replacement for the old BTR, M113 and
VAB based on the design of a combat proven vehicle and a cheaper price.
Renault Trucks Defense offers the vehicle in several versions as personnel
carrier, ambulance, battlefield surveillance, mortar carrier, command
post etc.
Variants
-
VAB: standard version of the vehicle -
VAB Mark 2: upgrade version with new armour and inside crew
compartment.
The VAB
Mark 3 can be equipped with a full range of turret or remote
weapon systems up to 30 mm caliber cannon. At Eurosatory 2012
the vehicle is fitted with remotely weapon station TRT-25
from BAE Systems. The TRT-25 is fitted with a dual-feed 25
mm M242 Bushmaster cannon with two 130-round bins, a 7.62
mm machinegun with 1,000 rounds, and four smoke grenade launchers.
The TRT-25 is equipped with electro-mechanical drives and
sight equipment giving it all round observation, fast reaction
time and accurate weapon firing. Its range and effectiveness
is determined by the choice of weapon. The system is equipped
with safety interlocks and mechanisms for effective and safe
use of the weapon from behind cover. The operator is protected
while controlling the system remotely from inside the vehicle.
Design
and Protection
The
layout of the VAB mark 3 is similar to the standard version
of the VAB, with engine at the front, the crew compartment in
the middle and the troop's area at the rear. New modular design,
sufficient payload and innovative electronic architecture allow
the VAB Mark III to be used for various missions and to be accommodate
with a wide range of weapon systems with a growth potential.
The front vehicle is equipped with two large bullet-proof windows.
One single door is available to each side of the crew compartment.
The rear side of the hull is equipped with a hydraulic ramp.
The VAB Mark 3 is heavier than the old VAB, 13,000 kg for 20,000
kg for the new vehicle. The VAB Mark 3 is equipped with new
armour which provides a protection for the crew and the soldiers
Level 4 STANAG 4569. The VAB Mark 3 provides also a mine/IED
protection up to MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle.
The vehicle can carry 3 crew members and 7 infantry soldiers.
Propulsion
The
VAB mark 3 is motorized with a Renault truck engine which has
a power from 320 to 400 hp. coupled to an automatic transmission
with 6 forward and 1 reverse speed. The vehicle can run at a
maximum road speed of 105 km/h. The VAB mark 3 can cross trench
of 1 m and can mount 0.5 m of vertical obstacle.
Accessories
The
VAB Mark 3 is fully amphibious, being propelled in the water
by one water-jet mounted at the rear of the hull. The vehicle
can be air transported and deployed by C-130 Hercules or Airbus
A400M military transport aircraft. As a medium combat system
for current and future battlefields, the VAB Mark III receives
the BATTLENET INSIDE innovative electronic architecture designed
by Renault Trucks Defense. BATTLENET INSIDE is based on open,
standardized and proven COTS solutions coming from the IP technologies:
Switched Ethernet, SNMP administration, Voice over IP, MPEG4
video standard, Open Source developments.
South
Korean officials condemned the launching of another short-range missile
Sunday, May 19, 2013 by North Korea, saying the action was provocative.
North Korea fired the missile Sunday afternoon into the ocean off the
country's east coast ....
