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Background  —  Armoured Patrol Vehicles (APVs) for Afghanistan

The safety record of CF Iltis light utility vehicles in Afghanistan sped-up delivery of its successor, the G-wagon. But it was obvious from the outset that G-wagon’s add- on armour would give insufficient protection from landmines or improvised explosive devices. A blast-resistant patrol vehicle was needed but the lengthy gestation period of the G-wagon procurement did not augur well. The solution came in the form of  the Armoured Patrol Vehicle project which established the need for such light armour as an “Immediate Operational Requirement”. Although still opened to bidding, this IOR classification successfully circumvented most of the usual procurement bureaucracy.

The aim was to buy 50 APVs (with options on a further 25) and remote weapon stations to arm the vehicles at a cost of $100M including spares and 2 years of support. Three firms,  GDLS - Canada, Thales Canada, and Germany’s KMW ( Krauss-Maffei Wegmann) submitted bids with the BAE OMC  RG-31,  ADI Bushmaster and Dingo 2 respectively. We will review the three official candidates in turn. As time permits, we will also examine other vehicles mentioned with regards to APV.

Dingo: Down Under Dog from Deutschland Dingo 2 is the latest version of KMW’s All- Protected Carrier Vehicle. [1]  Unlike the two other APV candidates, Dingos have a frame protected by a belly plate. This arrangement has  fallen into disfavour  for  mine-resistant vehicles in some quarters. But the Dingo has a material advantage: its belly pan uses the unique characteristics of composite fibres to absorb blast energy through distortion – before returning to its original shape.

Bushmaster  –  a Pit Viper from Down Under ADI’s Bushmaster follows the classic form for mine-resistant vehicles  –  a V-shaped welded- steel monocoque hull  to deflect  blast energy. By all account, the Thales Canada submission came as a surprise – Bushmaster, at 7.1m long, is quite a bit  larger than  the other candidates. Although judged unsuited to APV needs, this vehicle has great potential in other roles (such as logistics)  plus  possibilities  for growth. [2]

RG-31 – Gawky Gazelle from South Africa The RG-31 is already in CF service as Nyala route-provers. The latest production version features improved  mine and  IED protection. Familiarity aside,  the RG-31 had advantages that all  but ensured victory in the CF’s APV contest –  proven performance in a range of climates and terrains, relatively small size [3], and association with GDLS-Canada (a major supplier of CF vehicles). The RG-31 seems a fine choice for Armoured Patrol Vehicle, filling a niche between the G-wagon C&Rs and much larger Bison and LAV III section carriers.

Also see:  vehicles mentioned in the debate and speculation on the APV project.  First up, RG-31’s more civilized cousin, the RG-32 Scout.

[1] The original Dingo (which recently received new orders from the German Bundeswehr) was based on the Unimog U1550L chassis. The Dingo 2 submitted to the APV contest (and purchased by the Belgian and Austrian armies) is based on the newer Unimog U5000 chassis. [2] Irish Timoney Technologies (whose MP44 was the origin of the Bushmaster design) has designed a longer, 6x6 version as their MP66. [3] At 6.4m long and 2.63m high, the ‘small’ RG-31 towers over a G-wagon. Still, a RG-31 is comparatively compact for this class of vehicle.