Thursday 27 January 2022

The Seven Vehicles: Ox,Mule,Pony,Horse,Elephant,Matilda And Charger

 
A British Army Bedford MK truck Ford Cargo tractor and Foden recovery vehicle in Kuwait during Operation Telic on the 5th of March 2003
 
 
Further to earlier pieces on rationalising the United Kingdom's naval and military aeroplane and helicopter fleets,herein we shall list the only families of field vehicles which the armed forces actually need (rather than have or want),these shall use common components wherever practical,shall be available in a variety of configurations such as four,six or eight wheeled,truck or tractor,wheeled,half tracked or full tracked and shall be adaptable to specific environments or roles by the addition of internal and external equipment.
  
Task Force South Special Operators load a Polaris RZR800 on a Chinook in Maruf District Kandahar Province Afghanistan on the 1st of October 2010
 
 
The Ox family of Utility Vehicles shall be front engined,one cylinder (powered by the same diesel engine family as the Mule and Pony),four or six wheel,four wheel drive,typically four or six seat vehicles,able to operate on four foot wide foot paths,with a gross weight of around two long tons,gross payload (including the weight of the driver) of over sixteen hundred pounds,optional ballistic and mine protection to STANAG 4569 Level 1 and,by means of netting,protection against occasional Rocket Propelled Grenade hits in lieu of payload.
 
The Supacat Light Role Vehicle on exercise with a Wildcat Helicopter in April 2019
 
 
The Mule family of Field Cars shall be front engined,two or three cylinder (powered by the same diesel engine family as the Ox and Pony),four wheel or six wheel,all wheel drive,typically ten seat vehicles,with the same internal volume as the Pony,Matilda and Charger,able to operate on six foot wide roads,with gross weights of four or six long tons,gross payloads of over four thousand or fifty-two hundred pounds respectively,optional ballistic and mine protection to STANAG 4569 Level 2 and,by means of netting,protection against occasional Rocket Propelled Grenade hits in lieu of payload.
 
A Foxhound Light Protected Patrol Vehicle of Second Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment near Kabul Afghanistan on the 23rd of December 2017
 
 
The Pony family of Light Protected Trucks shall be front engined,four or six cylinder (powered by the same diesel engine family as the Ox and Mule),four wheel or six wheel,all wheel drive,typically ten seat vehicles,with the same internal volume as the Mule,Matilda and Charger,able to operate on eight foot wide roads,with gross weights of eight or twelve long tons,gross payloads of over four thousand or ninety-two hundred pounds respectively with standard ballistic and mine protection to STANAG 4569 Level 3,optional protection to STANAG 4569 Level 4 and,by means of netting,protection against occasional Rocket Propelled Grenade hits in lieu of payload.
 
A Mack Defense M917A3 Heavy Dump Truck
 
 
The Horse family of Medium Protected Trucks and Tractors shall be front engined (powered by the same diesel engine family as the Elephant,Matilda and Charger),all wheel drive,typically three seat vehicles,able to operate on eight foot wide roads and to carry or tow loads of up to fifty long tons with standard ballistic and mine protection to STANAG 4569 Level 3,optional protection to STANAG 4569 Level 4 and,by means of netting,protection against occasional Rocket Propelled Grenade hits in lieu of payload.
 
An MZKT 741350 Heavy Equipment Transporter and 999420 trailer
  
 
The Elephant family of Heavy Protected Trucks and Tractors shall be front engined (powered by the same diesel engine family as the Horse,Matilda and Charger),all wheel drive,typically three seat vehicles,able to operate on twelve foot wide roads and to carry or tow loads of up to one hundred long tons with standard ballistic and mine protection to STANAG 4569 Level 3,optional protection to STANAG 4569 Level 4 and,by means of netting,protection against occasional Rocket Propelled Grenade hits in lieu of payload.
  
FV432 Mk3 Bulldog vehicles of the Royal Green Jackets patrol Basra City Iraq on the 25th of January 2007
  
 
The Matilda family of Medium Armoured Tracked Infantry Armoured Personnel Carriers shall be front engined (powered by the same diesel engine family as the Horse,Elephant and Charger),tracked,typically ten seat vehicles,with the same internal volume as the Mule,Pony and Charger,able to operate on ten foot wide roads,with gross weights of up to fifty long tons,gross payloads of up to ninety-two hundred pounds with standard protection against mines,shoulder fired and crew served weapons and able to carry a remotely operated turret or other equipment in lieu of payload.
 
Merkava IV tanks on the new training area at the 7th Brigades headquarters at Katsavia on the 6th of January 2021
 
 
The Charger family of Cavalry Heavy ARmoured vehicles shall be front engined (powered by the same diesel engine family as the Horse,Elephant and Matilda),tracked,typically ten seat vehicles,with the same internal volume as the Mule,Pony and Matilda,able to operate on twelve foot wide roads,with gross weights of up to one hundred long tons,gross payloads of up to ninety-two hundred pounds with standard protection against mines,tank guns,shoulder fired and crew served weapons,with a standard Five And A Half Inch Tank Gun turret and able to carry a remotely operated turret or other equipment in lieu of payload or the gun turret.
 

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