ST Engineering Positions Bronco to Meet Bv206 Requirements

25 Maret 2019

The Bronco 3 is easy to drive and deceptively quiet meaning it cannot be heard until relatively close (photo : Paolo Valpolini)

Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST Engineering) is positioning its Bronco 3 to address the potential emerging requirements of current Bv206 users, according to Dominic Phoon, vice-president and product director of the Programme Management Office.

The Bronco 3 was specifically designed for extreme weather requirements, such as those required by many legacy Bv206 users, Phoon told Jane's in March at the Ivalo Test Ground in Finland. ST Engineering representatives said the vehicle has been demonstrated to five Bv206 user countries.

The vehicle utilises Soucy rubber tracks in widths from 600 to 700 mm so that it can theoretically cross 80% of the world's terrain, according to Phoon.

The wheels and drive sprockets are also provided by Soucy and built from Ultra High Molecular Weight-Polyethylene (UHMW-PE), which Soucy said can operate at temperatures from -73° to 80° C.

The vehicle is built from steel armour and so confers ballistic protection on the vehicle at its basic level. Phoon said the steel for the monocoque structures is provided by SSAB and designed to withstand Arctic temperatures without becoming brittle and compromising protection.

The vehicle's ballistic protection can be extended to STANAG 4569 level 3 (7.62×51 mm armour-piercing with steel core) and the mine protection is provided by a V-shaped hull bottom made from a single sheet of steel for each module. The plate covers the diesel fuel tanks, which further help to dissipate blast energy away from the hull. The manned areas are provided with armoured crew citadels, reinforced with high-strength steel frames to ensure that only the crewed areas are protected.

In a modern battlespace any patrol, convoy, or resupply mission can become a combat mission, which typically means that future vehicles must be able to withstand a small arms fire ambush and a mine blast as a minimum.

(Jane's)