Today, light and high-speed military vehicles are gaining in importance. The armies of many countries are armed with ATVs and buggies. In Russia, not so long ago, the AM-1 army all-terrain vehicle was adopted. At the same time, the Research Center of Automotive Technology of the 3rd Center of the Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense of Russia is considering the prospect of introducing all-terrain vehicles of the "buggy" type into the Russian army. Such machines are actively used in the armies of some states, so the military in Russia are seriously interested in their capabilities in relation to the realities of our country.
One of the most active operators of army buggies is the US military. It is in service with more than 20 types of buggies produced by various companies. Initially, their main purpose was to patrol the US borders. Also, these cars are well suited for operations in the desert, sabotage and reconnaissance. Usually they are carriers of light weapons, and their crew consists of 2-3 people. The military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq have shown that improving the armor protection of off-road vehicles inevitably leads to an increase in their mass and the loss of the ability to perform a number of reconnaissance missions. In this situation, they have to give way to light vehicles with high maneuverability, speed, low visibility on the ground and a relatively low price.
The first buggies appeared in the United States in the 1950s. For their manufacture, they usually used old, unused Volkswagen Beetle cars. From the diminutive form of the name Volkswagen "Beetle" - Volkswagen Bug, the word "buggy" - "bug" comes from. During the alteration, the body, fenders, doors were removed from the cars, and a lightweight frame or fiberglass body was installed as a supporting structure, and in some cases a stripped-down version of the standard Volkswagen body was left. Due to the durability of the chassis and cross-country ability of the "Beetle", the absence of a radiator, high ground clearance, as well as the rear engine arrangement, this popular and recognizable to this day passenger car was ideal for creating a buggy on its basis. The popularity of the buggy was also promoted by the availability of the Volkswagen Bug passenger car.
In the late 1970s, the United States realized that military vehicles did not have to be large and fearsome. Even then, the army felt the need for a fast and light vehicle that would be suitable for patrolling the desert, remembering the buggy. Buggy is a lightweight frame vehicle, characterized by high cross-country ability, speed, small dimensions and good cornering stability. Such machines turned out to be very useful. The first serial buggies were supplied to the American military by a small Californian company Chenowth, which specializes in the production of racing buggies. Cars of its design have successfully participated in the famous races of the Dakar Rally.
In the early 1980s, this Californian company won an army contract to create a fast military buggy capable of easily navigating the sand dunes, while carrying a significant amount of weapons and various military equipment. Already in 1982, the first army buggy was born, which went into mass production, FAV - Fast Attack Vehicle. The first batch had 120 buggies, but in reality the cars were idle until the early 1990s. Their debuts were operations in the Persian Gulf. They were first used in Kuwait. During Operation Desert Storm, it was the FAV buggies that became the first vehicles to enter the liberated capital of Kuwait. At the same time, they did not move along the roads at all. As part of Operation Desert Storm, buggies were used not only by the US military, but also by British special operations forces.
The Fast Attack Vehicle was equipped with two-liter air-cooled Volkswagen engines developing a maximum power of 200 hp, a 4-speed gearbox, and independent suspension. The car weighed 960 kg and could travel 320 kilometers at one gas station. The maximum speed of the buggy was about 130 km / h. A characteristic feature of the buggy was the lightweight body, which was made of high-strength steel tubular structures (frame and roll arch), as well as the location of the transmission and engine in the rear of the hull. As weapons, 7, 62-mm and 12, 7-mm machine guns, grenade launchers, ATGM or MANPADS could be used, an additional radio station could be installed. Over time, the buggy received a new designation DPV - Desert Patrol Vehicle (literally - a vehicle for patrolling the desert).
The DPV buggy was built on the basis of the VW Beetle car. A front torsion bar suspension was installed on a tubular frame, and an air-cooled boxer engine was located at the rear. The frame was sheathed in sheet steel. The FAV / DPV buggy crew consisted of 3 people. Two of them were located traditionally, as in an ordinary car (one is the driver, the second is firing a machine gun, reading maps), another crew member was located in the upper superstructure above the power unit. He could fire from a machine gun or a grenade launcher.
The performance characteristics of FAV / DPV:
Overall dimensions: length - 4080 mm, width - 2100 mm, height - 2000 mm.
The ground clearance is 410 mm.
Weight - 960 kg.
The maximum speed is 130 km / h (on the highway).
Acceleration from 0 to 50 km / h - 4 s.
The maximum slope is 75%.
The maximum side slope is 50%.
Carrying capacity - 680 kg.
Fuel capacity - 80 liters.
Crew - 3 people.
A further development of the DPV buggy was the new LSV - Light Strike Vehicle (literally translated as light strike vehicle). Possible armament was significantly expanded and could consist of: 12, 7-mm machine gun M2, 5, 56-mm machine gun M249 SAW LMG, 7, 62-mm machine gun M60 or M240 series GPMG. Also, two AT4 anti-tank grenade launchers or one BGM-71 TOW ATGM could be used.
Later, around October 1996, the advanced ALSV - Advanced Light Strike Vehicle buggies saw the light of day. They became the third generation of Chenowth's army buggies and the direct heirs of the DPV and LSV models. The improved lightweight impact vehicle is available in two versions - with a 2-seater and 4-seater body. This vehicle is in service with the US Army and Marine Corps, some NATO countries, the Middle East and Central America.
It should be noted that there has been a recent trend towards redesigning desert buggies. Given the fact that the Volkswagen Beetle has ceased to be produced since the mid-1990s, the front torsion bar suspension is gradually being replaced by a suspension with transverse A-arms. The rear suspension of the buggy is based on diagonal wishbones.
The most "advanced" army buggies Advanced LSV, built on the basis of the Humvee, received a proper name - Flyer, which only emphasizes the good speed characteristics of the cars. According to the manufacturer's information, the angles of entry and exit of these buggies are 59 and 50 degrees, respectively. The new model buggy has already proved its mobility and firepower. Thanks to the presence of a circular turret, the shooter can fire 360 degrees without turning the buggy for this. The vehicle can be equipped with a large-caliber 12.7 mm M2 machine gun or a 40 mm MK19 automatic grenade launcher. Light machine guns and portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft systems can be used as additional weapons. Each of the buggy doors can be equipped with a turret for mounting 7, 62 mm and 5, 56 mm machine guns.
The buggy weight has increased to 2 tons. With a 160-horsepower diesel engine and four-wheel drive, the buggy has excellent off-road performance. The engine is paired with a 6-speed gearbox. There are variants of the ALSV buggy, designed to transport the wounded and transport goods, as well as vehicles that are equipped with armor and are designed to directly participate in combat operations. At the same time, ALSV buggies remain compact, they can be transported by air by transport helicopters CH-47 Chinook or CH-53 Sea Stallion.
The tasks for the solution of which such buggies are intended remain unchanged:
- carrying out special operations;
- fast attack / penetration deep into the enemy's territory;
- reconnaissance operations;
- adjustment of fire on ground targets (including with the help of UAVs);
- a team car.
The performance characteristics of the Flyer ALSV:
Overall dimensions: length - 4570 mm, height - 1520 mm, width - 1520 mm.
Clearance - 355 mm.
Turning radius - 5.48 m.
The curb weight is 2041 kg.
Gross weight - 3400 kg.
Carrying capacity - 1360 kg.
The power plant is a 1.9-liter diesel engine with a capacity of 160 hp.
Fuel capacity - 68 liters.
The power reserve is 725 km.
Crew - 2-3-4 people.
