The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) has completed initial testing of a re-engineered and upgraded Cadillac Gage V-150 Commando 4x4 light armoured vehicle. Designated HMV-150, the donor platform for the project was a damaged vehicle salvaged from southern Thailand in October 2016 by local company Panus Assembly Co Ltd.
The RTN had considered the donor vehicle to be beyond economic repair following an earlier land mine strike, agreeing to donate it to Panus for a potential rebuild at the company's expense.
The vehicle was re-engineered and rebuilt over a period of eight months, and was handed back to the RTN for testing and evaluation following a series of trials in early June 2017. Should this effort find favour with the RTN, the aim for Panus would be to similarly upgrade the remainder of the service's 24 V-150 vehicles - some of which are presently unserviceable.
Given the prevalent mine and IED threat in Thailand's southern provinces, a key aim of the project was to improve both ballistic and blast protection levels of a vehicle originating from a time when 7.62 mm ball rounds and anti-personnel mine protection was considered adequate for a vehicle of this type. The desire was to deliver a product with protection levels comparable to the RTN's in-service Panus Phantom 380-X1 MRAPs.
To help achieve this target, Panus engineers redesigned and reinforced the entire hull, with about 80% of the HMV-150's 6.5 m long and 2.5 m wide hull newly fabricated. Formal ballistic and blast testing has yet to be undertaken, but the vehicle's updated protection is understood to be based around a double layer hull with 12 mm thick steel used for the sides and roof, and 16 mm thick steel used for the underside.
(Jane's)
the thai's could learn from marawi.
BalasHapusThis is an organic approach to rengineeering of old defense equipment to meet the current challenges. Bravo guys! Hopefully this effort can be emulated by other countries too. This shows that defense activities can spur local economy too
BalasHapusLooks slick and good. Perhaps the philippine army could upgrade their v150 to this standard plus adding the wooden armour i think they would have the most protected v150 ever and the best. Btw what type of wood do they use? Most western blog think that it is ineffective however someone pointed out that tropical woods are stronger. What is the exact wood they use?
BalasHapusits not the wood actually since many claim that the rpg warhead are just cheap self made round that never actually work in all of their attack. if it were a heat or at least the same type of warhead used by the somalis than there's no way the v150 could survive since even the more protected condor(better than v150) can't handle those round.
HapusTrue. Still if the vehicle gets knock out the chances of the crew sirviving is higher. This is good since they have no other options in getting a replacement vehicle with their low budget.
HapusDid they use 2 x 12 mm steel or 2 x 6 mm steel for armor? Anyway this is better armored than Pindad Badak FSV, which only got 10 mm steel plating (I dunno if they use composhield armor like Anoa)
BalasHapusRTN? Or RTMC?
BalasHapus