After knowing, in some previous article, the interesting range of military vehicles produced by the Korean Kia Military Vehicles, our journey through the media continues, this time much closer to us, just beyond the Alps.
We are talking about France and production automotive in question is the very popular Renault which, since 2001, has decided to call its production of industrial vehicles “Renault Trucks”, a renowned reality created with the historic collaboration of the Swedish Volvo.
The group, known for the great quality of its products, is based in the north of France, exactly in Versailles, and the name of the division used for defense, has an eloquent name: Renault Trucks Defense "RTD"
In reality, the brand Renault Trucks Defense embraces two branches for the specific production of these means: the Panhard andAcmat Defense. In total there are 24 vehicles attributable to the RTD Holding but among these the attention falls on three versions in particular, the Dagger ATV, theHiguard 6x6 and lo Sherpa Light, a 4x4 just similar - and why we'll see later - to our LMV Lynx.
But let's take a close look at them. The Dagger ATV “All Terrain Vehicles” is an Urban Vehicle 4x4, a light armored vehicle with a mass of 5 tons and powered by a 3.0 4-cylinder 140 hp Iveco FPT Industrial production; a true off road with two rigid decks, suitable and manageable on all terrains. But be careful, observing it beyond the sympathy for its reduced forms and measures, the typology raises some legitimate doubts about its safety features.
In his production there is a reference to Peugeot and Citroen, part of the PSA group and perhaps this explains why the adoption of a motor made in Italy. Remember, with a little imagination and perhaps for the simplicity of its mechanics, the Willys American or the Mercedes G series in military version, of course.
Higuard 6x6 MRA, is among the largest in the range and very similar to our VTMM Grizzly. The acronym "Mine Resistant Ambush Protected" immediately tells us what the prerogatives of this big and imposing medium are.
It is assembled on the chassis of the Renault K civilian car of the truck and its structure is clearly armored, with a weight that stands at 21 tons. Its length is 7,5 meters and can carry 12 men plus the conductor and the team leader.
The body is shaped with a characteristic flute to deflect the IED shockwave and is laterally tested to withstand the explosion of 15 kg of TNT at a distance of two meters, while its armor retains ogives from 7.62, 12.7 and 14.5 mm.
Its engine is a Renault Md 7 with 340 horses, a six-cylinder turbodiesel that according to the graphics is ready and lively in offering its torque already at low revs, a characteristic of elasticity known and appreciated especially by professional drivers of heavy vehicles , which in equal measure appreciate the similar characteristics of the Italian competitor Iveco NEF 6 cylinders.
On the asphalt road, its transmission works in 6x4 conformation, while the 6x6 function can be inserted by the driver as well as the blocks of its four distribution differentials. The third rear axle is steered to limit the tendency of the vehicle to close tight bends in the operating area.
The transmission is mechanical with a ZF to 8 ratios, the same that equips the civil series, but alternatively there is an automatic 6 gear produced by Allison Transmission.
The French Humvee "Services Sherpa Light”Is a great climber, but… if Higuard remember the VTMM, the smallest 4x4, (little one does to say) sherpa APC, seems to recall a lot the line and the operational use of Iveco Lynx LMV.
It is certainly an agile medium but the least technology is perceptible and almost certainly, observing all its conformations, has a not negligible vulnerability and this despite its massive and massive line. The absence on the sherpa, of the security cell or citadel, to protect the military team on board.
APC are the initials of Armored Personnel Carrier, And sherpa presents itself as a functional, albeit spartan, vehicle to which it is possible to apply additional ballistic kits for the additional protection of the surfaces and the body.
It is a 4x4 with two rigid bridges ideal foroff road more extreme, and is driven by a Renault Md 5 engine from 4.7 cubic centimeters and with 215 cv, to 4 cylinders; the gearbox, in this case, is only automatic and even here the choice was for an Allison to 6 gears.
The dashboard is in exposed metal and the same color used externally, while the controls, as per Renault tradition, are limited to the essential but very intuitive; some, like the gauges, are the same as the civilian truck from which its chassis is born.
The position of driving and steering quite vertical, do not favor much comfort and for some conductors, finding a compromise is not very easy. This basically happens because the frame at the base of the sherpa it is that of a truck but adapted to Sherpa's car forms.
However, the obligatory gimbal segmentations of the steering axle are necessary both to optimize handling and not to be lethal in case of explosions.
In the most common configuration, it can accommodate 4 soldiers and is provided with a hatch at the rear for the operator in the turret; in the elongated version, on the other hand, it can carry a team of as many as 10 soldiers with the military burden necessary to operationally detach for forty-eight hours from the command post.
Its height is only 2 meters and a half, but the size increases with the application of the turret; the length is about six meters for 2,35 of width, the weight instead stands at seven and a half tons.
However, these characteristics give it an undisputed road holding, even if the structure, with the presence of the two spring bridges, is quite rigid as you can imagine and the wet asphalt, for example, with the type of tires adopted, it does not fit into its favorite land.
The absence of too much electronics, however, also gives a certain taste in pushing it to the limit, even if, despite the soundproofing, the engine is felt enough in the cockpit.
The French market is undoubtedly very well known for production in favor of the Defense and the vehicles are only partially sold to the French Army rather than to the Foreign Legion. There are numerous client countries of France: India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Egypt ... just to name a few!
The current fleet of the French Army is perhaps a bit 'less autochthonous than ours and it is not difficult to observe in the barracks Mercedes, Land Rover, but also Iveco vehicles in livery ordinance dell'Armèe de Terre.
At this point I cannot fail to remember with special affection those bad boys, paratroopers of the Foreign Legion who, together with me now years ago, took their places on that fuselage to jump and boast the Italian patent at an altitude of 400.
I remember the bottle of "auspicious" whiskey, guys !!!
(photo: Renault Trucks Defense)
