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APV Project Dingo 2

APV Project Bushmaster

APV Project RG-31

Background  —  Armoured Patrol Vehicles (APVs) for Afghanistan

Note: Urgent and Immediate Operational Requirements have distinct meanings but, outside DND, IOR/UOR can be used interchangeably.

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. Although APVs were interim vehicles, the official APV candidates all re-emerged as potential contenders for DND's TAPV competition.

Dingo: Down Under Dog from Deutschland Dingo 2  'All-Protected  Carrier Vehicles' [1] have deployed to Afghanistan with German and Austrian forces. Whereas the two other APV candidates had monocoque 'V' hulls of welded-steel, Dingos have frames protected by belly plates. With conventional materials, this approach has distinct disadvantages. But the Dingo has a material advantage: its composite belly armour distorts to absorb blast before regaining its original shape.

Bushmaster – Pit Viper from Down Under [2] 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. Judged unsuited for APV, Bushmaster proved successful in Afghanistan.[3] Bushmaster has now been submitted for DND's TAPV contest.

RG-31 – Gawky Gazelle from South Africa BAE's RG-31 served  the CF as Nyala route- provers. The version submitted for the APV contest featured an improved drivetrain and mine/IED protection. Familiarity aside, RG-31 had proven performance in a range of  harsh climates and terrains, relatively small size [4], and was offered by major CF supplier GDLS- Canada. The RG-31 winning APV was all but a foregone conclusion. As CF APVs, RG-31s faced severe conditions, at times were controversial, but were also tough, well-protected vehicles. RG-31 Mk5 EM is offered for TAPV.

[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] The Bushmaster was submitted for the APV contest by its maker ADI (Australian Defence Industries) now re-named Thales Australia. [3] The Bushmasters in Afghanistan serve in Uruzgan  –  serving with Australian units there since 2005 and with Dutch forces since 2006. Prior to delivery of their Bushmasters, the Dutch relied on loan of CF RG-31s – two Nyala engineering vehicles and two brand-new APVs. [4] 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.