COMMANDO Select Four-Wheeled Armoured Vehicles

The COMMANDO Select 90mm Direct Fire Armoured Vehicle is capable of carrying a driver, commander, gunner and loader. Image courtesy of Textron Systems.

The COMMANDO Select Mortar Vehicle is capable of firing at azimuths up to 360 degrees. Image courtesy of Textron Systems.

The COMMANDO Select Mortar Vehicle can fire up to 120mm mortars from a common mount. Image courtesy of Textron Systems.

The COMMANDO Select family of four-wheeled armoured vehicles is manufactured by Textron Marine & Land Systems.

The vehicles are designed to provide superior mobility, lethality, survivability and sustainability, while they are easy to operate and maintain.

The vehicles are controlled by a crew of three and can accommodate seven passengers, enabling greater troop carrying capacity.

Textron delivered about 550 COMMANDO Select vehicles in three variants for use by Mobile Strike Force units of the Afghan National Army.

COMMANDO Select vehicle variants

The COMMANDO Select family of armoured vehicles includes four variants: COMMANDO Select armoured personnel carrier (APC) with turret, APC ambulance, 90mm direct fire vehicle and mortar vehicle.

The COMMANDO Select mortar indirect fire vehicle, unveiled at the ‘International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX)’ in 2013, is intended to deliver superior firepower from a protected mobile platform.

The mortar vehicle variant is capable of carrying a commander, driver and two mortar crew members. The vehicle can fire 120mm mortars through a common mount and stow 82 rounds of high explosive illumination and smoke munitions. The firing elevation of the vehicle is between 45° and 85°. It is capable of firing at an azimuth of 360°.

The 90mm direct fire armoured vehicle, introduced at the ‘AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition 2013’ in Washington, is equipped with a lightweight cockerill CSE 90LP turret from CMI Defence. The two-man weapon system incorporates a cockerill Mk3 90mm low-pressure gun. The turret provides additional firepower and combat support day and night in counter-insurgency and legacy combat operations. The vehicle has a crew of four members, including driver, commander, gunner and loader.

The COMMANDO Select APC with turret can carry three crew members (driver, commander and gunner) and four dismounts. The vehicle accommodates three crew and seven troops when fitted with an objective gunner protection kit (OGPK) or a remote weapon station (RWS). It offers increased security, mobility and endurance.

The COMMANDO Select APC ambulance offers protection for medical crew against explosions during the treatment and transport of patients. The vehicle can accommodate three crew, two ambulatory patients and two litter patients.

COMMANDO Select vehicles are optionally integrated with mission equipment based on customer specifications. The family also includes additional variants, namely command and control vehicle, engineering vehicle, maintenance vehicle, OGPK and recon vehicle.

Design features of COMMANDO Select armoured vehicles

The length and width of COMMANDO Select are 6.62m and 2.74m respectively. The vehicles have a turning diameter of 21.3m and height of 3.022m. The gross weight of the vehicles is 17,237kg.

Each vehicle boasts door deployment systems provided by modular torsion spring system maker, CounterBalance Corporation. The mortar door, placed on the top of the vehicle, becomes virtually weightless with the help of the counterbalance systems, allowing soldiers inside the vehicle to respond quickly during enemy engagement.

COMMANDO Select armament and self-protection

COMMANDO Select vehicles are optionally fitted with either a turret mounting 40mm MK-19 grenade launcher and 50 calibre machine guns with M-36 gunner sights, providing day/night vision, or a turret with cockerill 90mm low-pressure gun. Other options include a remote weapon station and 120mm mortar system.

The vehicles are protected by a monocoque V-shaped hull and can be fitted with scalable modular armour for additional protection. The crew is protected from direct fire, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and mine blasts.

Engine and mobility of Textron’s four-wheeled armoured vehicles

The COMMANDO Select family of vehicles is powered by a Cummins 6CTA8.3 engine rated at 280hp. The vehicles feature six-speed transmissions developed by Allison Transmission.

COMMANDO Select vehicles are fitted with 16.00R20 XZL tyres with run flat inserts manufactured by Michelin.

The vehicles feature fully independent front and rear suspension, with upper and lower control arms.

The vehicles can run at a speed of 100km/h on a level hard surface and offer a range of 644km. The speed can be accelerated from zero to 32km/h in just eight seconds and to 80km/h in 30 seconds.

The vehicles can climb a vertical wall of 0.56m and can ford a depth of 1.5m. The gradient and side slopes are 60% and 30% respectively.

The Global Armoured Vehicles and Counter IED Vehicles Market 2011-2021

This project forms part of our recent analysis and forecasts of the global armoured vehicles and counter IED vehicles market available from our business information platform Strategic Defence Intelligence. For more information click here or contact us: EMEA: +44 20 7936 6783; Americas: +1 415 439 4914; Asia Pacific: +61 2 9947 9709 or via email.

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