Warthog

The Warthog is a twin-chassis all-terrain amoured vehicle in service with the British Army, including in support of 16 Air Assault in Afghanistan. The Warthog is similar in concept and appearance to the lighter BvS 10 Viking, a vehicle it has, since 2010, replaced in UK service in the Afghanistan theater.

The Warthog is a variant of the Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier (ATTC) manufactured by ST Kinetics. The vehicle features 2 cabs coupled together by an articulated joint, both running on rubber caterpillar tracks, the forward cab acting as the tractor. The forward cab is crewed by 3: commander, driver and a gunner. A protected weapon station atop the front can can accommodate a a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) or Grenade Machine Gun (GMG).

The Warthog is designed to be highly mobile, while still offering protection for those inside. The low ground pressure of the rubber track design gives the Warthog a high degree of mobility over various terrain. The Warthog can be transported by air, sea, road, rail and by landing craft.

A number of modifications to the base Bronco model were made to the variant deployed by British forces:

• upgraded cooling and filtration system
• Bowman BCIP 5 communications system
• extra protective armour
• Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) system to counter IEDs

Warthog Variants

The Warthog comes in a number of variants to fulfill different roles:

• Troop Carrier : 8 fully-equipped soldiers can be transported in rear section
• Ambulance : fitted with medical equipment and stretchers
• Command & Control : fitted with additional / better communications
• Repair & Recovery : fitted with crane and winch
  

The Warthog was first deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan with the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment (2 RTR) as the 'Warthog Group' in late 2010.

Warthog Specifications

Engine	7.2 litre Caterpillar 3126B 350 bhp (261 kW) at 2400 rpm
Transmission	Automatic 4-speed forward / 1 reverse
Maximum speed	60 kph
Tracks	Heavy duty seamless rubber
Combat weight	6540 Kg
Dimensions	Length 8.6m Width 2.2m Height 2.95m (front cab) 2.32m (rear cab)
Crew	11 (commander, driver, gunner + passengers)

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