Western European truck manufacturers in the IDEX 2021 showroom
Tatra is constantly expanding its offer in the military sector. One of the latest steps is to offer our own fully armored cabs, while previously there was cooperation with the domestic company SVOS or the Israeli Plasan.
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, IDEX 21, one of the world's largest exhibitions dedicated to military equipment, was held from February 25 to 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It was attended by several truck manufacturers from Europe, including Tatra, Daimler - Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Iveco DV, who presented their new products there.
The decision to participate in this event was due to several interrelated reasons. First of all, research and development continues, including on completely new models and further variations of already known base cars. Here, the pandemic could, at best, slow down the implementation of individual projects, but did not stop them. In addition, the prestigious Eurosatory fair in Paris, for which some premieres were being prepared, did not take place last year. Finally, the Gulf region itself is an important outlet. Thus, if one of the key industry events takes place there, for companies doing business in this part of the world, despite various restrictions still in place, the appearance in Abu Dhabi is part of a larger strategic business puzzle. In other words, from the point of view of these players, you simply had to be at IDEX 2021.
Tatras
This year at IDEX, the Czech manufacturer, which is part of the Czechoslovak Group as a holding company, presented, among other things, a four-axle logistic vehicle. It was a heavy all-terrain logistic transporter belonging to the Tatra Force 8×8 line, equipped with the premier long, fully armored cab of the Tatra Defense Vehicle.
The cabin is made of armor plates and glass. Its shape closely resembles that of its unarmored counterpart, increasing the degree of so-called natural camouflage. The steel front bumper, characteristic of the Force line, is heavily cut back, among other things. Cabin walls are usually flat. The front part consists of two parts - the lower vertical one, raised by three continuous upper hinges, the trademark is placed in the center, and the upper one, strongly inclined back, has two armored windows. The windows are separated by a vertical steel panel and have slightly cut side top corners. On the sides of the door, fixed on two solid hinges and having a rotary handle, asymmetric bulletproof glass with a reduced surface is inserted. You enter the cabin via two steps, including the bottom one, and entry is facilitated by a vertical handle attached behind the door. In addition, there is an escape hatch in the roof, which can also be the basis for a remotely controlled weapon position or a machine-gun turntable. Another distinctive feature of this cabin is the so-called. higher roof with slightly sloping upper side corners and additional headlights at the front. The introduction of such a roof, according to the idea, which has been offered on the civil market as a plastic element for several years, significantly increases the amount of space in the interior. In the case of military applications, it remains important, since at present many pieces of equipment, including communications equipment, are transported in cabins, and the soldiers themselves often have to perform tasks in bulletproof vests. The higher cabin gives them more freedom of movement. At the same time, the interior equipment includes efficient systems: heating, air conditioning and filtering ventilation.
Officially, the Czechs did not provide guaranteed degrees of ballistic and mine protection in accordance with STANAG 4569A / B. However, it can be assumed that this is level 2 for a ballistic system and 1 or 2 for a countermine.
The basis of the car is a 4-axle classic Tatra chassis, i.e. with central support tube and self-suspended independently suspended axle shafts. The first two axles are steerable, and all wheels are equipped with single tires with an off-road tread pattern. The car has a central tire pressure control system.
The permissible gross weight of the option under consideration can reach 38 kg, and the load capacity is almost 000 kg, taking into account the fact that a hydraulic crane with a lifting capacity of almost six tons is installed on the rear overhang. The sheet steel cargo box can accommodate up to eight standard NATO pallets or folding benches for 20 soldiers. It is powered by a Cummins inline six-cylinder diesel engine with 000 kW / 24 hp. liquid-cooled mated to a six-speed Allison 325 series fully automatic transmission.
The second Tatry exhibit at IDEX was a special two-axle chassis, also from the Force series, with a 4 × 4 drive system, with the engine located in front of the front axle. This is called a chassis platform designed for the installation of armored bodies. It is characterized by the brand's traditional design concept, i.e. with a central support tube and oscillating independently suspended axle shafts.
The maximum weight of a car equipped with this chassis can reach 19 kg, with up to 000 kg per load. The chassis is powered by a 10kW/000hp Cummins engine coupled to an Allison 242 series automatic transmission. The maximum design chassis speed is 329km/h.
