The concept is not only ramps and Żmija
Dino (in the background) and Virus are interesting structures with significant potential, meeting the needs of many armies, not just the rest of Europe.
During last year's 118th International Defense Industry Exhibition, the Armaments Inspectorate of the Ministry of National Defense signed a contract for the supply of 4 Żmija long-range reconnaissance vehicles jointly offered by Polski Holding Obronny Sp. z oo and Concept Sp. z oo The winning design, Virus 2001, also won the Defender award. So far, this is the largest order for the company from Bielsko-Biała, which was founded in XNUMX and has become one of the largest manufacturers of special vehicles in Poland in recent years.
Concept has been supplying various types of vehicles for the Polish Army for many years. The first contract for the purchase of Toyota Hilux for JW GROM was signed by the company together with IMS-Griffin Sp. z oo (currently Griffin Group SA Defense Sp.k.) in 2006.
Among the users of Concept special vehicles, in addition to the military, are also: the Police, voluntary and professional fire brigade, the Penitentiary Service, volunteer mountain rescue teams.
Currently, Concept Sp. z oo is engaged in the production of special vehicles, bodies, components for cars and aluminum boats. The company also sells and services ATVs (all-terrain vehicles), recreational/sports vehicles, UTVs (off-road vehicles), and motorcycles. The company also has its own design office and production facilities. Since 2016 Concept Sp. z oo also has the status of Mercedes-Benz VanPartner by Daimler AG, which confirms both the high qualification of the company's personnel and the management and quality control system.
The virus is not just for intelligence
The path to the contract described in the introduction was a long one and required a medium-sized company like Concept to spend a lot of money and a lot of effort. These efforts, however, have paid off and the result is the 4th generation Virus, which is a finalized and production-ready design that will begin delivery to the military in 2020.
Recall that the Żmija program was initiated by an announcement published in the second half of May 2012 by the Ministry of National Defense of the Ministry of National Defense on a market analysis regarding the "Light Strike Vehicle (LSV)" for the Ground Forces. Forces.
That same year, at MSPO Concept, she unveiled the first prototype of the Light Impact Vehicle (LPU-1), later the Virus. From the very beginning of work on this car, the company cooperated with operators of special forces and veterans with combat experience.
Virus (4th generation) uses many solutions developed by KB Concept, including:
- tubular safety cage (tubes made of chromium-molybdenum steel);
- rear adjustable suspension with trailing wishbones, Panhard bar, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers and stabilizer bar;
- the body, including the floor and rear end, is made of carbon composites. What is important, in our climatic conditions, the body is heated.
The 4 liter turbocharged diesel engine used in the 2,4th generation of the Virus develops 132,5 kW/180 hp. and maximum torque of 430 Nm. It can run on both diesel fuel and aviation gas turbine fuel. The drive is combined with a 6-speed manual transmission and a transfer gearbox with a center differential lock, realizing one of four operating modes: 4x2, 4x4, 4x4 with lock and 4x4 with a reduced gear ratio . The performance of the virus, according to the requirements, is: 140 km/h on a paved road and 100 km/h on a dirt road. gross vehicle weight 1700 kg.
The virus is adapted to transport: rail, sea, road and air (including suspended under a helicopter), it can also be dropped with a parachute.
The design of the machine can be used as the basis for a family of light vehicles, which, due to their high tactical mobility, including air transport, are experiencing a kind of renaissance in the armed forces of the world, and not just in special forces.
On the basis of Virus, a prototype of a highly mobile vehicle for the Airmobile Forces is also being developed, the purchase of which (55 units) together with trailers (105 units) is currently the subject of a tender conducted by ME.
Dino
Another program that Concept is interested in is Mustang. The company is currently offering a successor to the Honkers LTMPV Dino (Light Tactical Multi-Purpose Vehicle), which had its Polish premiere at last year's MSPO.
Developed in collaboration with Oberaigner Automotive GmbH, the vehicle is based on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 319 chassis with a 3250 mm wheelbase, an Oberaigner Powertrain 4×4 transmission with three mechanical differential locks.
One of the two diesels Euro 5+ and Euro 6 - 6-cylinder OM642 with a capacity of 2987 cm³ and a maximum power of 140 kW / 190 hp. or 4-cylinder OM651 with 2143 cm³, developing 120 kW/160 hp. Both powertrains are paired with a 6-speed manual transmission.
For the construction of the LTMPV, a version of the Sprinter with a "moving chassis" was used, i.e. without bodywork. The all-new Dino composite body was completely designed and manufactured by Concept. Thanks to the use of new design solutions, it is possible to achieve a load capacity of 1000 kg with a load capacity of 3500 kg.
In the basic transport version, the Dino has a five-door body - two pairs of side doors and a rear double-leaf, asymmetrically divided.
As for the interior of the car, the original Sprinter dashboard, steering wheel with airbag (also on the left in front of the passenger / dispatcher), as well as the driver and passenger seats with seat belts, were retained. In the rear part of the body, seats or benches can be installed in various configurations. The maximum number of people in the current configuration that meets the requirements of the Mustang is nine (2 + 7).
The machine can also be made in specialized versions: ambulance, observation, commander or as a chassis with a single or double cab, for example, for container superstructures.
