URO VAMTAC

History of the URO VAMTAC

The URO VAMTAC is a general purpose military vehicle originally designed, developed and produced for the Spanish Army by UROVESA, Spain. The vehicle has similarities in the style line and its role on the battlefield to the U.S. utility/utility Humvee described elsewhere on this site.

VAMTAC ("Vehicleo de Alta Movilidad Tactico" or "Vehicle of High Mobility, Tactical") has been in service since 1996 and has been used by the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Spain, with a combined total of over 4,500 units so far (2021).

The origins of VAMTAC lie in the original Spanish military requirements for a dual-role/multi-role combat vehicle designed by the American HUMVEE in the 1980s. The program only took off in the mid-1990s, leading to the development of a proprietary Spanish design to meet the requirements (rather than buying a proven true American vehicle).

Serial production of the VAMTAC began in 1998 and continued until the first production models in 2003, with subsequent orders received in 2005, modified to match previous operating experience.

Although it clearly refers to the American Hummer, the VAMTAC itself is considered a design. In addition to its intended military value, the type has also been adopted by police forces and security teams - such is its versatility.

It has become the standard combat vehicle of the Spanish Armed Forces, and its design has been proven in operations across Afghanistan.

Base design supports 4x4 and supports off-road driving. The wheels are well spaced and designed to run smoothly in combat conditions while still allowing plenty of clearance on the riding surface. The driver sits front left, and a total of four passengers is a typical load. Dimensions include a barrel length of 15.9 feet, a width of 7.1 feet and a height of 6.2 feet.

Power comes from a single-turbo diesel engine from Steyr Motors, rated at around 186 hp, feeding a conventional four-wheel arrangement. The engine is mounted in the usual location at the front end of the chassis and is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission system. The vehicle adopts a four-wheel independent double wishbone arrangement, which is supported by coil springs.

Road weight up to 7,700 lbs, depending on configuration, passenger, cargo and weapons loads.

With a fuel capacity of 29 gallons (US), the truck can reach road speeds of 85 mph and have a range of up to 370 miles as planned.

The typical weapon is a 12.7mm heavy machine gun mounted on a trainable tap in an open position above the top of the fuselage. The weapon package requires manual operation by the crew and can be delivered by a smaller caliber (7.62mm) General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL) or Anti-Tank Missile (ATGM) launcher as required.

Cart protection strips can be installed on the front of the truck.

Like the HUMVEE, the VAMTAC is available in two- or four-door fuselage types and can be equipped with flat, full-body and modular components as required for special missions.

Variants of the series include standard support/utility models, ambulance versions, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) with American BGM-71 TOW/TOW-2 or French Milan ATGM anti-aircraft missile (AA) carrier) with Model weapons for 20mm/23mm autocannon or SAM (Surface-to-Air Missile) launcher, CC2 (Command and Communications) vehicle with advanced communications suite, FAV (Fast Attack Vehicle) for Special Operations (SPECOPS) forces ), rocket projector form (for multiple launch rocket systems - MLRS - roles) and a platform equipped with PSYOPS speakers.

Famous names of the series include Rebeco, I3, S3, S3 (ARMORED), ST5, ST5 BN3 (upgrade to STANAG 3) and SK95.

Nearly 3,000 VAMTACs have been deployed in Spain (2021), and Morocco has deployed 1,200 of its own making these two customers the worlds largest operators of the design. The vehicle was tested but not adopted by Brazil and Paraguay.

Specification

Basics

Years of Operation

1998

Origins

Spain

Crew

1

Production

4,500

Manufacturer

UROVESA - Spain

Carrier

Dominican Republic; Ghana; Indonesia; Iraq; Malaysia; Morocco; Portugal; Romania; Saudi Arabia; Singapore; Spain

ROLLING

Anti-Tank/Anti-Tank

Base models or variants can be used to track, engage, and defeat armored enemy elements at long distances.

Recon

Can perform reconnaissance/reconnaissance missions to assess threat levels, enemy strength, etc. - usually due to lightweight construction.

Utilities

Generally user-centered design to perform various battlefield missions, usually in an indirect combat fashion.

A special design created to play an equally special role on the battlefield.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

15.9 feet

4.85m

width

7. 2 feet

2. 18m

Height

6.2 feet

1.9m

Weight

7,716 lbs

3,500 kg

Tonnage

3.9 tons

Power and Performance

Engine:

1 x Steyr Motors 185 hp turbo diesel engine powering a conventional four-wheel arrangement.

Speed

83.9 km/h

(135.0 km/h)

Area

388. 4 miles

(625.0 km)

Weapons

Optional: 1 x 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) or 1 x 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) or 1 x 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL). Equipped with TOW/TOW- 2 or MILAN anti-tank missiles for roles such as missile carriers.

Appropriate armament (missiles, ballistics, etc.) is also noted for missile launchers and anti-aircraft forms. Any personal weapon carried by the crew/passenger.

AMMOTION

Depends on weapon.

VARIANTS

VAMTAC ("Vehiculo de Alta Movilidad Tactico") - Name/name of the base series. VAMTAC Rebeco - Main model from 1998-2003. VAMTAC I3 - Main model from 2004-2010. VAMTAC S3 (T5) - 2004-2010 models. VAMTAC S3 ARMORED - Armored variant from 2004-2010.

VAMTAC ST5 current (2020) production/operational model, in operation since 2013. VAMTAC ST5 BN3 - 2015 model with armor for STANAG level 3 protection. VAMTAC SK95 - 2018 variant; light artillery tractor (ST5 chassis). VAMTAC MED - Ambulance variant with fixed oversized rear compartment. VAMTAC ATGM - Anti-Tank Missile Carrier.

VAMTAC AA - Mobile self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle equipped with a surface-to-air missile (SAM) or automatic cannon. VAMTAC PSYOPS - model equipped with speakers. VAMTAC FAV - Fast attack vehicle variant of special forces. VAMTAC C2 - command and communication vehicle with additional communication equipment.

VAMTAC MLRS - Mobile missile launch vehicle form. VAMTAC COM - Communication vehicle with additional communication equipment.