Thales Hawkei PMV (Protected Mobility Vehicle)

History of Thales Hawkei PMV (Protected Motor Vehicle)

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had a great influence on the modern tank doctrine of the major military powers in the world. Many services have reduced or abandoned track and wheel designs in favor of more maneuverable, lighter units.

Protection and reliability remain at the heart of these units, and Thales Australia's Eagle Armoured Motor Vehicle (PMV) is an icon of ongoing global change.

Like other mobile battlefield systems on the market today, Hawkei is designed with a philosophy of "multi-mission", allowing the modular chassis to fulfill various battlefield roles. Its interior layout allows the vehicle to carry the latest portable computer systems, electronics and communications equipment.

The body with drive chassis can be purchased in two- or four-door configurations, depending on buyer preference. With a 2-door option, the rear of the fuselage is lowered and can be used as a flatbed (can carry a payload of up to 3.3 tons). In this way, the inherent flexibility of the Hawk allows it to serve multiple battlefield roles, including general troop transport, light reconnaissance, intelligence surveillance (ISR), electronic warfare (EW), liaison and command and control (C2) .

The 2-door model has 3 seats and the 4-door model has 6 seats.

Vehicles are traditionally designed as 4x4 wheeled products. Wheels are well spaced and placed in the extreme corners of the design for excellent balance. Good ground clearance, combined with an effective suspension system that provides off-road capability, helps keep up with the workhorses. The doors are automotive-style and hinged, with the rear pair hinged on their rear lines and the front pair hinged on their front lines. The front windshield is angled and bulletproof for small bore types.

The engine is located in the forward compartment in front of the driver. Power is transmitted to two axles, allowing for a top speed of 115 km/h and a range of 600 km. A 200 kW turbo diesel engine is paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The roof section is fitted with a turret ring capable of accommodating a Remote Weapon Station (RWS) or a manned trainable weapon system. Supported types include 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun (HMG), 7.62mm Medium Machine Gun (MMG), 5.56mm Light Machine Gun (LMG) and 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL).

These guns are designed to provide point defense for vehicles or to support friendly matches in an emergency.

Overall, the survivability of the vehicle received a lot of attention given the fighting in the Afghanistan and Iraq theaters, with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) influencing design principles. As such, the Hawkei is equipped with built-in blast/defense measures to help the crew survive.

Ballistic protection is also measured by threat and can be increased to meet the needs of a specific combat environment.

The vehicle is air transportable and can be suspended under the belly of a Boeing CH-47 Chinook or similar medium lift transport helicopter. It can also be placed in the cargo hold of various types of fixed-wing aircraft.

October 2015 - The Australian Army has committed to buy 1,100 Hawkei vehicles to replace part of its fleet of lightly armoured Land Rover 'Perentie' (Land Rover 110) 6x6 wheeled vehicles. This series will be used with the heavier and larger "Bushmaster" series PMVs (described in detail elsewhere on this site).

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on weapon.

Changes