Benz invasion of ADF imminent

Not content with its G-Wagen victory over the Australian Defence Force, Mercedes-Benz is readying the troops once more for an all-out assault on our military fleet.

Clambering under the wire at Linfox's Anglesea proving grounds in Victoria last week, motoring.com.au joined the team from Mulgrave to jump aboard Merc's STANAG 4569 prepared Zetros and Actros heavy rigid models. For the civvies out there STANAG is the NATO abbreviation for the STANdardised AGreement which defines the processes and terms for common military technical procedures. The 4569 category refers to the protection levels afforded to occupants of logistic and light armoured vehicles.

The vehicles are in the country to demonstrate their worth to the powers-that-be high in the echelons of the Australian Army as it seeks to replace vehicles sourced under Project Perenti in the early 1980s. The new project, dubbed Overlander (Land 121) has already seen 1200 Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen light patrol vehicles supersede the aging Land Rover 110 Defender fleet, which first entered service back in 1981.

Like its British-sourced predecessors, the G-Wagen is also expected to provide a 30-year service life.

Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks has built military vehicles since 1904, this impressive lineage endowing the company with a wealth of knowhow. In addition to being able to climb every mountain and ford every stream, the three-pointed star brand is proud of the fact in the modern era no soldier has ever been seriously wounded or killed inside one of its armoured trucks.

Sold in more than 80 countries, Mercedes-Benz military vehicles boast a considerable history in Australia, too. The Mercedes-Benz LA 911 Fire Tender (75 of) entered service in 1978, followed by a fleet of Unimog 4x4 trucks (1983 of) in 1982 – all of which are still in service. The ADF also has a 16-strong Mercedes bus and coach fleet, some 70 Sprinter ambulances as well as nearly 300 Fuso and Rosa light trucks and buses.

Now, the Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific will tender its Actros (8x8) and Zetros (4x4) as replacements for the Mercedes-Benz 1700L Unimog (4x4) and Mack M123D Bulldog (6x6) vehicles, and like G-Wagen, will impart a similar 30-year service life.

Put through their paces around the Anglesea course, Actros and Zetros faced 1200mm deep water baths, 60 per cent grade climbs and a range of assorted obstacles, the pair effortlessly stamping their authority over the boggy terrain (check out the video below). Though Victorian wintrer conditions are tough, Mercedes tells us the vehicles operate in temperatures "exceeding those in which the human body can cope".

Adding to its go-anywhere ability, Zetros can fit inside Hercules C 130 and Transall C 160 military transport aircraft and can be lifted by a Chinook helicopter. Antonov AN-225 Mriya heavy-lift transporters are required to shift the larger Actros.

To our amazement, the vehicles were surprisingly comfortable to travel in, the long-travel suspension, large profile tyres (with in-cabin adjustable inflation system) and air-ride seats easily digesting the lumps and bumps encountered.

Internally, the cabins' layout are shared with the Benz commercial derivatives. The military adaptation retains most of the layout, switchgear and ancillary features, the high degree of commonality allowing soldiers (both driver and mechanic) to become well versed in all key functions across a variety of vehicles.

Adding to this versatility, unarmoured cabs can be exchanged for a full-armoured unit on the same chassis. The clever monocoque design and its quick-change fittings mean the swap can be carried out in less than eight hours by two trained soldiers in the field. This flexibility allows a single chassis to be fitted with a variety of cabins, depending on operation needs, cutting both purchase and operating costs (armoured cabins weigh between two and three tonnes more than their conventional counterparts).

Cabins are reinforced by welded steel armour and composite panels for ballistic, mine and IED (improvised explosive device) protection. In some cases they are able to resist the blast equivalent to 50kgs of TNT.

Optional NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) protection also allows vehicles to penetrate deeper into areas inaccessible by conventional truck counterparts.

As the world's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz says it is the only company capable of offering a range of specific military vehicles (G-Wagen, Atego, Axor, Unimog, Zetros and Actros) with the capacity to shift payloads ranging from 0.5 to 110-tonnes.

As a (very) rough guide, the range of vehicles on offer to the Australian Government varies in price from $100,000 to in excess of $600,000.

Zetros 1833 4x4
Engine: 7.2-litre in-line six-cylinder
Power: 240kW @ 2200rpm
Torque: 1300Nm @ 1200 – 1600rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Transfer: Two-speed
Military Payload: 4,000kg
GVM: 16,500kg
Fording Depth: 1200mm
Gradeability: 60 per cent
STANAG 4569 Level: 2/2b (as shown)
Top speed: 90km/h (electronically limited)
Price Guide (approx.): $200,000 - $400,000

G-Wagen 6x6 and 4x4
Engine: 3.5-litre vee-configuration six-cylinder
Power: 135kW
Torque: 400Nm @ 1600 – 2600rpm
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Transfer: Two-speed
Military Payload (typical): 1200kg (4x4) / 2100kg (6x6)
GVM (typical): 4600kg (4x4) / 6500kg (6x6)
Fording Depth: 750mm
Gradeability: 60 per cent
STANAG 4569 Level: Pre-armour
Top speed: 120km/h (electronically limited)
Price Guide (approx.): $100,000 - $200,000

Mercedes-Benz / ADF partnership timeline
1978-1980: Mercedes-Benz LA911 4x4 Rural Fire Trucks (Qty: 75)
1982-1992: Mercedes-Benz Unimog 4x4 (Qty: 1983)
1996-1998: Mercedes-Benz Unimog 6x6 Medium Recovery Vehicles (Qty: 59)
2002-2003: Mercedes-Benz Actros 8x8 TADRS (Qty: 19)
2003-2005: Mercedes-Benz Coach (Qty: 60)
2007-2009: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Ambulances 4x2 and 4x4 (Qty: 70)
2001-2011: Fuso Light Trucks and Buses (Qty: 297)
2011-Ongoing: Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen 4x4 and 6x6 (Qty: 1200)

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