The ideal design for an armoured vehicle intended for service in a guerrilla conflict must reach the perfect balance between protection and agility. An abundance of armour certainly protects the soldiers and crew inside, but will nevertheless slow the vehicle down and make it a more convenient target for a patient insurgent squad waiting by the roadside. Keeping steel plating to a minimum, meanwhile, will allow for greater speed but at the expense of protection, a formula not conducive to steady nerves on a battlefield where improvised explosive devices are de rigeur.
Experience spanning half a century
ST Engineering is well versed in threading the needle between these two priorities. Its new TERREX Infantry Fighting Vehicle is equipped with an integrated all-round camera that provides valuable situational awareness, and a digital architecture that allows for the easy installation of a plethora of navigational, communications, power control and battlefield management systems.
Capable of seating 13 service members, this light tank also comes with active or passive armour options, and a coaxial 40mm gun paired with a 0.5in heavy machine gun as standard.
Founded in 1967, ST Engineering has a formidable pedigree in providing equipment solutions in land systems, in battlefield electronics, the manufacture of naval vessels, and even civilian aircraft leaseholds. With revenues of more than $4.8 billion and up to 22,000 employees globally, the company is well aware that what the world’s militaries require from their armoured vehicles is not only a balance between protection and speed, but also a variety of vehicle types so that they can respond to any situation that might arise on the battlefield.
Crawl onto the battlefield
Nowhere is this more evident than in the SPIDER New Generation Light Strike Vehicle. Resembling a heavier, souped-up version of your average dune buggy, this fast-response carrier offers infantry on the battlefield unparalleled manoeuvrability, with the 138hp turbocharged diesel engine and custom suspension allowing it to transverse inclines of up to 60°.
Light enough to be easily transported by CH-47D Chinook helicopters, the SPIDER is nevertheless as strong as it is fast, capable of carrying payloads of up to 1,000kg, in addition to an intimidating variety of weapons systems, from ATGM launchers to heavy machine guns and automatic grenade launchers.
A carrier for any terrain
If, however, the situation demands a more armoured personnel vehicle, ST Engineering offers the BRONCO All Terrain Tracked Carrier. Equipped to bear payloads of up to 5t, the BRONCO is designed to exhibit very low ground pressure, ideal for traversing terrain like snow, sand dunes or swamps, and is therefore a useful addition for humanitarian deployments in disaster zones.
Should it be sent to a combat zone, however, the vehicle’s heavy armour easily fends off standard asymmetric threats like mines and IEDs, with its V-shaped hull easily deflecting blasts from either up and away from its stiffened chassis. This capability has been ably proved by its highly protected variant, the Warthog, which has seen service in the British Army in Afghanistan.
Maintenance, repair and overhaul
In addition to providing materiel for deployment in active warzones, ST Engineering offers its own maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service. Working hand in hand with the company’s engineers at the design and production levels, the MRO team provides complete fleet overhaul and inventory management, as well as upgrades.
This is further complemented by a wide variety of accredited test services, including chemical and biological assessments, environmental testing, advanced calibration, lifting and failure analysis.
