Battlefield mules…
Shaun Connors looks at the role of ultra lightweight vehicles in supporting dismounted forces
The idea of air-transportable/droppable ultra
lightweight vehicles that provide transport and
logistic support to parachute troops and/or infantry
in isolated areas, or indeed simply just troops that
operate in extreme conditions, certainly isn’t a new
one. From the start of World War Two German
paratroopers had the Kettenkrad half-tracked
motorcycle at their disposal, and from experiences
of jungle fighting, by the end of that conflict the
British were experimenting with the Jungle
Airportable Buggy (JAB), a 4x4, that while complex
and ultimately unsuccessful, bears more than a
passing a resemblance to the modern All Terrain
Vehicle (ATV) - or quad bike, a product that is finding
increasing favour with the world’s armed forces.
Post-war the British Army continued its flirtation with ultra
lightweights, notable failures including 1957’s 350kg
Hunting Percival Harrier. Ultimately it would be the first Gulf
War before anything resembling a true ultra lightweight
would be used in anger by Her Majesty’s forces, and during
that conflict UK Special Forces are understood to have
used a small quantity of commercially sourced ATVs. And
while successful, little notice was initially taken of this fact.
By early 2003 British Commandos in Afghanistan had
received a small quantity of ATVs, their purpose to alleviate
the difficulties of carrying, in the rarefied air of higher
altitudes, the large amount of kit modern soldiers deploy
with. They were an immediate success and a UOR (Urgent
Operational Requirement) for over 100 additional
machines, initially for use in Iraq, soon followed.

Polaris is thus far the only company to offer a genuinely militarised ATV, with
Polish Special Forces being among its operators.
© G. Holdanowicz
The mainstream Army quickly discovered the
utility/workhorse value of the ATV and a follow-on UOR for
250 machines is in the process of being met. UK forces
are receiving a fleet of Yamaha Grizzly 450 ATVs complete
with purpose designed trailers. In service these will be
used for all manner of roles including reconnaissance,
resupply and even casualty evacuation.
Other armed forces quickly joined the rush to adopt
ATVs for a wide variety of roles on homeland security and
deployed operations, a snapshot selection of confirmed
users including Argentina, Australia (SF), Czech Republic
(SF), Lithuania (SF), Mexico (inc. SF), New Zealand, Poland
(inc. SF) Portugal, Singapore and the US.
With Special Forces being an enthusiastic user of the
type, information is not always freely available, however
the ATV has proven to be adaptable and well-suited to
current military scenarios that often see soldiers operating
in extreme terrain conditions, while being required to carry
increasingly heavy and sophisticated weapons and powerhungry
communication systems.
Poland’s forces operate Arctic Cat, Honda and Polaris
ATVs, and to further enhance the mobility of these have
procured track conversion kits for Polaris machines, while
a flotation kit has been developed for Honda machines.
Some users even arm their ATVs, an example being Czech
machines, some of which mount 30mm AGLs.
ATVs are also finding favour with armed forces that
traditionally operate in difficult homeland terrain, and
Mexico’s Marine Infantry are about to bolster a 26 machine
fleet with a further 83 machines.
The largest user of ATVs is unsurprisingly US armed
forces. Figures are not currently available, but pre OEF the
US Army operated around 1,000 assorted ATVs. However,
in one single $10.3 million order, in 2004 SOCOM (Special
Operations COMmand) ordered 700 Polaris 4x4 and 6x6
ATVs. Most other branches of US armed forces, with the
apparent exception of the Marines, now operate assorted
ATVs, many of these being procured through individual
units’ operational budgets.

Most branches of US armed forces, with the apparent exception of the Marines,
now operate assorted ATVs such as the
John Deere M-GATOR shown here,
many of these being procured through individual units’ operational budgets. © DoD
Polaris is thus far the only company to offer a
genuinely militarised ATV, the probable reason for this
being simply that military sales represent a mere fraction
of the global commercial ATV market. Militarisation of the
Polaris Sportsman 700 ATV results in increased payload,
flexibility and durability. However, and with the noted
exception of the Sportsman 6x6 which is fitted with a rear
cargo body/platform, the payload limit of an average
commercially-based ATVs plus operator, is somewhat less
than the relatively low 275kg of the Polaris 700 MV.
For users requiring greater payload, and according
to the manufacturer, a number of other advantages over
modified/militarised commercial ATVs, All Terrain Vehicle
Corporation offers the Prowler. Prowler is a purposedesigned
machine that while having a similar overall
dimensional footprint to a 475kg ATV of the 700 MV
type, is faster, seats two (side by side), carries more
and is claimed to be both more stable and
manoeuvrable.
Unlike a traditional ATV on which the rider straddles a
fuel tank and controls the machine with motorbike-type
handlebars, on Prowler the conventionally seated operator
controls conventional rack and pinion steering with a wheel.
An initial 25 Prowlers were supplied to assorted US
forces from 2003 for evaluation, and by May 2008 over
125 machines had been sold to US and other armed forces, the largest user to date being the UAE which is
receiving over 100 machines.
Currently the main ATV issue for armed forces is fuel.
Based on commercial products, ATVs traditionally use
petrol (gasoline) engines, and this conflicts with NATO’s
single battlefield fuel policy (JP8). A diesel/JP8 compatible
Prowler has been touted, but the problems of producing a
machine of equal extreme performance within the same
size/weight envelope should not be overlooked.
Development work on diesel ATVs has been done, much of
this in the UK by Roush Technologies who prototyped
Polaris, and later Arctic Cat machines. US manufacturer
Arctic Cat was the first to take up the serial production
mantle, with diesel-powered Arctic Cat ATVs now available.
Other ATV manufacturers are known to be looking at
diesel-power, and military sales are sure to follow. The UK
MoD opted for petrol-powered machines to meet their
most recent UOR as while it is their long-term aspiration
to operate a JP8 compatible fleet, the diesel-powered
product was not considered mature enough for current
operational scenarios.
Roush Technologies has also developed Harewood, a
6x6 ultra lightweight machine to meet a very specific UK
MoD requirement. Harewood is a single-seat relatively lowspeed
machine that is constructed of specialist lightweight
materials, as with a payload of 1-tonne it was required to
be transportable as an underslung load by a Lynx
battlefield helicopter. Roush is currently developing a twoseat
convoy-speed capable version of the machine for
more mainstream ‘battlefield mule’ applications.
Light vehicles affectionately bracketed as battlefield
mules have, of course, been around for many years, with
possibly the best known of these being the US Army’s
M274 Mule, 11,240 of which were produced from 1956.
By the early 1980s, and most likely based on a decision
made by somebody that had never moved from behind a
desk, the M274 was replaced (theoretically…) by the
HMMWV…
When genuine conflict arrived again in Afghanistan,
the soldier on the ground quickly realised the HMMWV,
while a lot of things, was certainly no battlefield mule. The
answer to the problem however was not found in the usual
high-tech development project, but in the John Deere MGator.
M-Gator is essentially a slightly militarised version of
the Gator, a machine of a type the groundskeeper at your
local golf course might use.
But be careful before you mock… because at
around $10,000 a throw (commercially) these (literally)
throw away machines may be a tad flimsy, but they’ve
carved themselves a niche with US armed forces, the
Army alone operating around 4,500 examples, and all
delivered since 1999/2000. With a payload of around
700kg, the two-seat M-Gator may not be able to top
20mph, but beyond roles you might expect of such a
machine, when flown in by helicopter with ground troops
it has a unique ability to follow along in virtually all terrain
conditions while lugging kit the soldiers themselves would
rather be relieved of handling.
Others, including the Canadians, have bought
Gators although few if any use them as widely as US
armed forces. Gator has a competitor though, with JCB
of the UK offering a militarised version of the recently
introduced Groundhog. Belgium is the launch customer
for Groundhog, having ordered 38 machines that will be
used for a variety of roles with both homeland and
deployed troops.
Machines with the capability of Gator/Groundhog
etc are, of course, not a new idea, but it is simply that
until OEF/OIF came along most armed forces saw little
need for such machines. A small number of armed
forces of course had continuing requirements for such
machines, most employing what are in effect little more
than a motorised flat platform, albeit a purpose-designed
(and expensive…) motorised flat platform. And while not
a comprehensive list, users of such machines have
included Argentina, France, Italy, Netherlands, South
Africa, Spain and Tunisia.
Argentina, France, Spain and Tunisia all procured
the air-droppable LOHR Fardier FL500/501, a 500kg
payload 4x4 platform based on Citroen automotives.
French vehicles were replaced by the 1,350kg unladen
Jeep-like Auverland A3F, however Argentina has, and
Spain and Tunisia are believed to have, retained theirs.
Spain’s armed forces use EINSA and Fresia 4x4 designs,
while Italy’s armed forces - mainly mountain troops - have
used a variety of types including a number of tricycle
machines. Dutch airmobile troops use the 900kg
payload VLA 4x4.
South African armed forces used the Jakkals, a
small purpose-designed vehicle that resembled a downsized
Jeep. This was recently replaced by the Gecko, a
small amphibious bathtub-like design constructed of high
density polyethylene. Based on the commercial Argocat,
Gecko is a skid-steer 8x8 machine sporting high-volume,
low-pressure tyres, a unique and unexpected benefit of
which is providing Gecko with virtual immunity to antipersonnel
mine blast…
For the future, while so-called replacements for
HMMWV-type vehicles grow ever bigger in size and the
humble foot soldier is required to carry ever more kit, the
so-called mechanical mule look set to become a regular,
and not occasional feature, on the modern battlefield. ■ |