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MAN will be replacing the UK's ageing fleet of military
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support vehicles with iTs HX and SX ranges. Dylan Gray
went on a white-knuckle ride to try out the models.
illbrook testing ground was the setting for MAN's demonstration of the military support vehicles that will replace the ageing Ministry of Defence (MOD) fleet over the next 13 years.
In a £1,3bn contract, MAN will supply the MoD with 7,285 support vehicles until 2013. As well as a five-year parts and labour warranty and five years' reliability assurance, the vehicles come with 20 years of support.
Before going into how the vehicles drive, it is worth mentioning the professional demonstration—or white-knuckle ride as it should be called. MAN's version of Michael Schumacher was behind the wheel of the SX 40440 8x8 recovery vehicle to show everyone just what it was capable of.Unfortunately, this reporter had the middle seat, the only one not equipped with air suspension.
The off-road test track started with a couple of steep hills, which the recovery truck overcame without any problems. After a gentle downward slope, a steep ramp suddenly directed the vehicle into a shallow lake. While most people would tackle an obstacle like this with caution, our driver did not let off the throttle and created a wave that engulfed the entire cab. With heart rates significantly raised. the vehicle emerged from the lake and rapidly headed to a series of closely positioned bumps. Having dealt with these with ease, the gradient became very steep. After slowing briefly to engage the correct diff locks,the truck crept up the hill without problem.
On the second time around our driver was even more enthusiastic, prompting a very popular make of 4x4 on test to get out of the way for the faster vehicle.
Though the vehicles will not al w ays be driven to the max, it will fill people serving in the forces with confidence knowing that a • -ttinck getaway is possible in a sticky situation.
The vehicles have an approach angle of up to 40n, a departure angle of 35 and a ditch-crossing ability of up to 1.9m.They can climb anything up to a 60% gradient and manoeuvre along a side slope of 40%, all in 1.5m of water (with preparation). All the trucks are designed to operate in envinminents from -32"C to 49'C, which is where the FOR vs SCR debate surfaces; M AN claims that AdBlue freezes at around -11"C.
The aforementioned Sx8 recovery vehicle with improved medium mobility is powered by the MAN D2066 LEG in-line six EGR engine, producing 440hp at 1,900rpm and 2, lOONni of torque between 1,000 and 1,400rpm.
HX vs SX The support vehicles in the contract consist of the HX range medium mobility and SX range improved medium mobility.I.IXs come in 4x4.6x6 and 8x8 variants and the SXs in 6x6 and 8x8 variants.As the name suggests, the improved medium mobility vehicles are the more capable off-road The difference is due to the suspension setups: steel leaf suspension is used on the medium mobility, whereas coil springs are fitted to the SX models, allowing longer suspension travel.
Any MoD truck drivers will welcome the ZFAS-Tronic transmission on the HX models and the six-speed power shift transmission with torque converter on the SX models. Eliminating the need to worry about changing gears allows the driver to focus on overcoming any obstacles.
It is not just the moving that has been made easy, but also the slowing down.When heading down a steep slope towards a ditch one feels in complete control due to the electronic braking system and stability control.The vehicles also have a brake pedalactuated EVB engine brake, which relieves the wheel brakes. The inoclula r cab has space for three soldiers with cross-cab access. As mentioned, both the driver and passenger seat are air-suspended with a locking function for offroad driving to give the driver better control of the pedals over bumpy ground. The middle seat folds down flat, allowing the soldiers to climb out of the roof hatch; this is why it is not air suspended:though style isn't top of the list when it comes to MoD vehicle selection, the cab has a very ergonomic layout.
Any soldiers serving in a hot climate will welcome the climate control unit above the driver's seat. It may not be the quietest in the world, but it does a fantastic job of cooling the cab. As it was a hot day, the heating function was not tested.
From the outside, the cab certainly has a military look to it.The two vertical windscreens allow for easier replacement and minimise light reflection.A hydraulic tilting system moves the cab so easy access can be gained to the engine, gearbox, air drier, solenoid and ventilation valves. In a war situation, the cab can be armoured within a matter of hours by just two men.
Even when armoured, the cab offers a good amount of storage space for personal equipment and military accessories. It has rifle holders in the doors, a machine gun holder and a holder for a light anti-tank weapon.
MAN not only displayed the driving abilities of its trucks, but also how they work together; one of the 6x6 vehicles was jacked up by the 8x8 recovery vehicle and a wheel was changed. Considering the 6x6 was fully loaded ,this was a very impressive. •