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2016-11-01
Oshkosh Defense M-ATV Assault
Fast, Protected and Flexible – and Built to Stay that Way
Imagine this operational scenario. Insurgents seized the oil refinery, setting up roadblocks and mines on all the major access routes to the facility; the military responded quickly.
But almost as fast, things started going wrong. A roadside bomb disabled the lead vehicle in a convoy dispatched to the site. Then the next vehicle in line rolled over when the road’s soft shoulder gave way.
Finally, as the convoy closed in on the objective, insurgents attacked from a mountain side, raining down gunfire as troops scrambled out of thin-skinned troop carriers in the center of the convoy.
But almost as fast, things started going wrong. A roadside bomb disabled the lead vehicle in a convoy dispatched to the site. Then the next vehicle in line rolled over when the road’s soft shoulder gave way.
Finally, as the convoy closed in on the objective, insurgents attacked from a mountain side, raining down gunfire as troops scrambled out of thin-skinned troop carriers in the center of the convoy.
Flash forward three years to a similar operating scenario...
When insurgents seize an industrial facility at the end of a remote desert roadway, armored vehicles bypass insurgent roadblocks, traversing fields and crossing small riverbeds to converge on their objective from multiple directions.
Surprised insurgents scramble to defend themselves as the armored vehicles roof-mounted cannon unleash devastating 30mm cannon fire before disgorging a quick-reaction infantry force to mount the final assault. Within hours, the insurgents are defeated. What a difference speed, maneuverability and protection can make.
Surprised insurgents scramble to defend themselves as the armored vehicles roof-mounted cannon unleash devastating 30mm cannon fire before disgorging a quick-reaction infantry force to mount the final assault. Within hours, the insurgents are defeated. What a difference speed, maneuverability and protection can make.
Whether it’s operations in Afghanistan, Yemen, Mali, or elsewhere, the critical lessons from the past decade of asymmetric warfare is that modern armies excel when they combine off-road agility, protective armor and advanced communications technology to take on their increasingly sophisticated and well-equipped adversaries.
The M-ATV Assault, the troop-carrying variant of the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle family from Oshkosh Defense, delivers all three. It’s the most durable, maneuverable vehicle in its class. The Assault variant seats 11, five in the first two rows in M-ATV’s standard blast-protected seats, plus six more on side-mounted, fold-up seats in the rear.
The rear compartment has multiple openings, with two rear hatches, twin roof hatches overhead, and two side doors. Built-in combat locks on all doors provide rescue access in an emergency.
“The theory behind the double hatch in the rear is that it helps soldiers dismount quickly to do their job,” the M-ATV Chief Engineer at Oshkosh Defense explains. “You don’t necessarily want to open the whole back – the two hatches allow you to mitigate exposure by opening just one, rather than both, if you are under fire.”
All hatches are counterbalanced and spring-loaded, rather than powered by hydraulic rams – making them less costly and more reliable. Despite their weight and armor, the hatches are easily operated by hand, requiring just 155N (35 pounds) of force. “You can open or close a door as fast or as slow as situation requires,” he says. “That’s unique.”
All hatches and doors are built and rated for “hundreds of thousands of cycles” without failure. “Our design uses mechanical parts, that are not going to leak or break like hydraulic systems. With hydraulic systems, once the system fails, the operators are just stuck, which can leave them dangerously exposed to gunfire.”
Common parts
Based on the design for the original M-ATVs purchased by the U.S. for operations in Afghanistan, Oshkosh developed the Assault variant’s longer wheelbase to provide much greater interior volume. While a heavier-duty rear axle was needed to support additional weight, the 6-speed, full-time four-wheel drive train was virtually untouched and fully up to the task.
“We put a lot of emphasis on maintaining the same mobility and performance as that of the original U.S. M-ATV variant,” the M-ATV Chief Engineer said. “That’s what drove the rear axle capacity increase. We didn’t have to change the engine or the transmission because we built extra capacity into the drivetrain from the start.”
Performance parameters are unchanged: The 16,700-kg vehicle is rated to climb 60 percent grades and navigate 30 percent side slopes.
Also like its siblings, the M-ATV Assault boasts the Oshkosh TAK-4® independent suspension system and Core1080™ crew protection system, with a fully armored, single-compartment crew capsule, a V-shaped hull to deflect blast energy away from occupants, multiple redundant fire-suppression systems and run-flat tires.
All M-ATV variants are designed to support multiple radio and antenna configurations, as well as a manned gun turret or a Remote Weapon Station (RWS).
“We deliver the modularity to support a wide range of missions and to carry whatever equipment they need,” he says. Location of antenna mounts, the type and location of communications gear, the gun system – the vehicle can accommodate up to a 30mm gun – are all adaptable to user requirements.
So, too, is the rear hatch configuration. “If our customer would like to remove the back wall and have a single hatch, we can do that,” he adds.
So, too, is the rear hatch configuration. “If our customer would like to remove the back wall and have a single hatch, we can do that,” he adds.
Besides being maneuverable off road, protected against blasts and connected to a modern communications network, modularity is high on the list of important elements of any ground combat vehicle.
“The most important lesson from the last decade of combat missions is that the threats and environment will change, and your vehicles need to be able to adapt to support the changes”.
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