JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU (Larry W.Jewell) (02/11/91)
From: "Larry W.Jewell" <JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU>
WNN reported on 02FEB91 that the Germans were sending NBC-capable recon-
aisance vehicles to Sandi Arabia. I got just a glimpse of them and didn't
get the designator. From my books they look liked Transportpanzer I's
but this is an 1988 book. Is this the current version? Does the U.S.
or anyother Coalition member have similar vehicles? How about Iraq?
(These were not NBC *proof* vehicles, but APC's that could check for
contaminants and mark suspect areas without leaving the crew compartment.)
"Replies summarized, credited, and posted (receipt ack's if VM willing)."
__________________________________________________________________________
"The next dreadful thing to a battle lost is a battle won."
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington
Larry W. Jewell Jewelllw@pur.cc.vm (I think)xrtnt@alpher.gsfc.nasa.gov (Nigel Tzeng) (02/12/91)
From: xrtnt@alpher.gsfc.nasa.gov (Nigel Tzeng) In article <1991Feb11.044612.29166@cbnews.att.com>, JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU (Larry W.Jewell) writes... ^WNN reported on 02FEB91 that the Germans were sending NBC-capable recon- ^aisance vehicles to Sandi Arabia. I got just a glimpse of them and didn't ^get the designator. From my books they look liked Transportpanzer I's ^but this is an 1988 book. Is this the current version? Does the U.S. ^or anyother Coalition member have similar vehicles? How about Iraq? Yes, we do. In fact the US NBC recon vehicle should be the same beastie as the German one since we purchace ours from a German manufacturer. I believe that the vehicle is named the Fox (only in german...which I can't remember - Foch?). [mod.note: "Fuchs" is German for fox. - Bill ] A much nicer vechicle than the LAV which was the competition IMHO but suffers from a a very bad problem: it uses German speced parts and not US parts. Which basically means logistical hell. I'll try to look up the designation in my sourcebook at home but I doubt it's in there as my book is a tad old and the vehicle quite new (for us anyway). ^(These were not NBC *proof* vehicles, but APC's that could check for ^contaminants and mark suspect areas without leaving the crew compartment.) Well...I'm not sure of that. I recall that it does have an overpressure system and internal air filtering for the crew. Whether they have to remain chem gear or not I'm not sure of but it sounds reasonably safe from chem contaminants anyway. Also as far as I know no US vehicle meets all the specs on NBC *proofness*. The major problem is the requirement to be able to enter and exit the vehicle without contaminating the inside...and who has room for an airlock? Oh, yes...another point of trivia. I recall that the vehicle swims quite well. Not much of an issue in the current theater is it? ;-) NT -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- // | Nigel Tzeng - STX Inc - NASA/GSFC COBE/SMEX Project \X/ | xrtnt@amarna.gsfc.nasa.gov or xrtnt@vx730.gsfc.nasa.gov | Amiga | Standard Disclaimer Applies: The opinions expressed are my own.
major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) (02/12/91)
From: bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) > From: "Larry W.Jewell" <JEWELLLW@VM.CC.PURDUE.EDU> > WNN reported on 02FEB91 that the Germans were sending NBC-capable recon- > aisance vehicles to Sandi Arabia. I got just a glimpse of them and didn't > get the designator. From my books they look liked Transportpanzer I's > but this is an 1988 book. Is this the current version? Does the U.S. > or anyother Coalition member have similar vehicles? How about Iraq? It is an NBC version of the TPz1. It's the M93 "Fox" NBC Reconnaissance System - built by Germany's Thyssen Henschel GmbH. They built about 1,000 6X6 wheeled light armored combat support vehicles (140 NBC versions) between 1979 and 1986. The US Army adopted the Fox in 1988 and terminated a contract with TRW for an M113 version. The German Ministry of Defense (MOD) turned over 60 vehicles to the US for use in the Gulf. Specifications: Weight, combat loaded 18.7 tons Weight, unloaded 16.9 tons Crew 3 (commander, driver, NBC operator) Length 24 feet Width 10 feet Height 8 feet Ground clearance 17 inches Engine Mercedes-Benz OM 402A turbocharged liquid-cooled V8 diesel, 320hp @ 2500rpm Transmission Zahnradfabrik Friedichshafen 6 HP 500, six-speed automatic w/torque converter Wheels, Driven 6 x 6 Wheels, Steered front four Tire Size 14.00x20, run-flat type Max Road Speed 65mph Max Swim Speed 7mph Fuel Cap 103gal Range 500miles Gradient 70% Operation time 12 hours (NBC system on) The all-welded steel hull provides ballistic crew protection. The engine is mounted behind the driver's and commander's position and offset to the left, allowing room for a passage to the rear compartment. It's fully amphibious, with two four-bladed propellers under the rear of the hull behind the rear wheels. (Germans *love* building wheeled-armored vehicles that swim) The vehicle carries portable M1 Chemical Agent Monitors and an AN/VDR-2 radiation monitor. It also pulls a pair of surface sampler wheels and has an air sampler. The CAM can detect low levels of both nerve and blister agents and can differentiate between the two. Traces picked up by the vehicle's own sensors are analyzed immediately by an on-board spectrometer. They can mark contaminated areas and transmit warnings to nearby units. (Source: 'Army' Jan 1991) mike schmitt
cottleta@b11.ingr.com (Tim Cottle) (02/23/91)
From: cottleta@b11.ingr.com (Tim Cottle) In article <1991Feb12.014901.10398@cbnews.att.com> bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) writes: > It is an NBC version of the TPz1. > > The vehicle carries portable M1 Chemical Agent Monitors and an AN/VDR-2 > radiation monitor. It also pulls a pair of surface sampler wheels and has > an air sampler. The CAM can detect low levels of both nerve and blister > agents and can differentiate between the two. Traces picked up by the > vehicle's own sensors are analyzed immediately by an on-board spectrometer. > They can mark contaminated areas and transmit warnings to nearby units. An interesting note: due to the cofiguration of the externally mounted and serviced surface sampler wheels and air sampler, left-handed persons are preferred for the job of NBC operator. The units are serviced by a glove box- type mechanism mounted on the right side of the vehicle (rear view, facing), necessitating the NBC operator to be turned facing the rear of the Fox, changingsampler wheels and air sampler screens, and dropping marker flags with his left hand. This was reported in a segment last week on the Fox shown on (if I remember properly) the McNeil-Lehrer News Hour. -- | Timothy A. Cottle | | | Intergraph Corp. | Gotter selbst vergebens. | | b11!sys26k!cottleta | --Schiller | | cottleta@b11.ingr.com | |