Military truck that's more than Tonka Tough

The Hummer and its military counterpart, the Humvee, have achieved iconic status -- thanks to a high-profile role in Desert Storm and as a daily drive for 'Governator' Arnold Schwarzenegger -- but this ungainly looking contraption may well usurp it.

Seemingly built from odds and ends scattered around a junkyard, this prototype is an example of the latest-generation Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), and it's the handiwork of renowned British military equipment manufacturer BAE Systems -- which builds everything from fighter jets to aircraft carriers -- and truck-building giant Navistar.

It's one of several contenders for a lucrative tender issued by the US Military for the supply of JLTVs. According to a report in US publication Motor Trend, as many as seven firms are believed to be preparing proposals, which are due on April 14.

The Motor Trend report suggests three companies will be selected as finalists by June, each of which will prepare seven variants of their JLTV family in three different weight classes. After 15 months of development and a year of testing, a winner will be selected, or one company will be eliminated.

As per the Humvee, the JLTVs will need to be multi-faceted, and their job descriptions will include hauling personnel and payloads across war-torn areas.

Although precise technical specs remain confidential, it's believed the BAE vehicle is similar in width to the Humvee, but its overall length is shorter. The British chariot is also taller than the squat-stanced Humvee, but its weight is said to comfortably undercut the 7640kg limit (in full combat configuration) for air transport.

In keeping with its intended function, the BAE vehicle has a V-shaped underbelly that's designed to deflect mine blasts, and troops can enter or bail out of either side of the vehicle.

It rides on air or hydraulic springs at each corner, enabling ground clearance to be varied from 180mm to an obstacle-dwarfing 610mm, and a Central Tyre Inflation System (CTIS) and bead-locked run-flat tyres are standard.

The 25mm thick armour-composite walls are said to be capable of withstanding blasts (to a degree), but the vehicle's modular design enables the powertrain, electronics, mobility systems, and armour to be replaced if needed.

And, a bit like an Energizer battery, it's designed to keep running even after taking enemy fire.

"If you blow off a wheel station, the vehicle can still continue. Or if you take some shots through the armour and hit the cooling station on the engine, the vehicle can continue," said a company spokesman.

Just the thing for Sydney's peak-hour traffic...

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