ESK Mungo
The ESK Mungo - Emergency Vehicle Specialized Forces Mungo - is an air-loading and air-transportable multi - purpose vehicle of the army of the German Armed Forces based on the Multicar M30 / FUMO. The vehicle has been in use since spring 2005. Due to the urgent need, the tests were carried out directly during the ISAF mission in Afghanistan.
Range of use
Except for variant 3, the Mungo is an unarmed multi-purpose vehicle that can be transported by air . According to the manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) , it should be able to transport a fully equipped paratrooper group . The crew consists of ten men; Two of them sit in the air-conditioned armored driver's cab, the other eight on the cargo area that is protected up to chest height. The arrangement of the seats is five against and three in the direction of travel.
development
As part of the operational area of the Rapid Forces Division (DSK; formerly Special Operations Division, DSO, evacuation operations in crisis and war zones, operations against irregular forces and terrorists), the Federal Office for Defense Technology and Procurement wrote out a catalog of requirements at the end of 2002 with the delivery of 8 pre-series vehicles . KMW with the Mungo-ESK and Rheinmetall Landsysteme (RLS) with the Wolf ESK were involved . A transport vehicle for personnel and material as well as the possibility of additional modular attachments were required. The comparative test took place in the spring of 2003, partly under operational conditions in Afghanistan.
In February 2005 KMW delivered the first of 396 Mungos to the DSO. By September 2011, a total of more than 400 mongooses had been delivered in the three different versions "troop transporter", "multi-purpose vehicle" and "large cabin".
Another order for 31 Mungo 2 (multipurpose) was placed in September 2011. The vehicles are again planned for use in the Special Operations Division and are to be delivered by 2013.
technology
| Technical specifications | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mongoose 1 | Mongoose 2 | Mongoose 3 | |
| maximum weight allowed: | 5300 kg | 5400 kg | 5400 kg |
| Payload: | 2000 kg | 2000 kg | 1000-1500 kg |
| Usable volume: | 8 m³ | 7 m³ | 6–8 m³ |
| Length: | 4.47 m | 4.48 m | 4.53-4.71 m |
| Width: | 1.94 m | ||
| Height: | 2.44 m | 2.14 m | 2.09 m |
| Height / folded down: | 1.89 m | ||
| Air transportability: | CH-53, Lockheed C-130, Transall C-160, Airbus A400M | ||
| Top speed: | Electronically limited 90 km / h | ||
| Protection: | Level 1 | Level 1 | Level 1–3 |
| Crew: | 2-10 | 2-10 | 4-5 |
| Armament: | no | remote-controlled carriage | |
Overall, KMW offers three variants that can also be retrofitted at a later date. Due to its air transport requirements, variant 3 of the Mungo is a maximum of 4.71 m long, 1.94 m wide and 2.09 m high. Variant 1, the basic version is 4.47 m long, 2.44 m high and no bigger than a Mercedes-Benz "Wolf" , but heavier. Its TDI engine provides the vehicle, which weighs around 3.3 t, with an output of 78 kW. The Mungo is fully cross-country; its four-wheel drive , the wide, non-slip tires, the limited slip differentials and the high torque of the engine enable it to get ahead with a full crew even on sandy slopes. The driving comfort is very limited due to the small wheels.
The vehicle can be prepared for air loading in the CH-53 in just five minutes . To do this, the roof of the driver's cab and the tarpaulin of the transport room are removed, and the supporting structure made of aluminum tubes below is folded down. The height is then 1.89 m. The CH-53 can transport two Mungos, the Airbus A400M , the Lockheed C-130 and the Transall C-160 a maximum of three vehicles. Another possibility of transport is the external load or the lowering with a load parachute.
The armor protects the occupants against anti-personnel mines , hand grenades and direct fire up to the caliber 7.62 × 51 mm NATO ; an optional additional armor against hard core projectiles can be attached. The underbody is completely armored and decoupled from the chassis. The four large doors of the rear structure allow quick up and settling. In contrast to the Mungo 1, the Mungo 3 is equipped with a large cabin. This is completely protected against artillery fragments and ballistic threats of STANAG level 3 or against mine explosions of class 2a as well as against IEDs from five meters to 100 kg. Possible upgrade kits for the Mungo 3 can be: telecommunications and medical equipment as well as battlefield reconnaissance and ABC detection vehicles.
With quick-release fasteners on the bench seats, the Mungo can be converted into a material transporter with a payload of up to 2 t within a short time using the standard hydraulic lifting and transport system.
Another variant is the Mungo multipurpose (Mungo 2). Due to the multicar base, attachments such as dozer blades or pallet forks can be attached using standard quick-change systems.
In contrast to the Mungo people and material transport, this variant is tailored directly to the transport of equipment such as high-pressure washing bars, rotary brushes, clearing blades, earth and core drilling equipment, compressed air equipment, submersible pumps, chain saws and use as a swap-loader vehicle. It is therefore to be seen as a supplementary vehicle type for the forces of the DSK. The vehicle has a transport platform with a hydraulic lifting and transport system and a quick-change system for front attachments.
defects
In the meantime, reports from the Federal Ministry of Defense became known that the Mungo's landing gear was unsuitable for use in difficult geographical conditions. In particular, the small diameter of the wheels and the poor stability are criticized. Because of this situation, the 28 vehicles that were in Afghanistan at the time should be withdrawn.
Due to the inadequate operational capability, the future procurement of further mongooses will be refrained from without having an alternative for light air-transportable vehicles.
Web links
- Krauss-Maffei Wegmann's website on the Mungo
- Website from the German Army to the Mungo
- Website with many photos of the mongoose
Individual evidence
- ↑ Bundeswehr orders 31 MUNGO multipurpose. Hardthöhenkurier , September 20, 2011, accessed on September 23, 2011 .
- ↑ a b Information according to the Defense Technical Report: Protected command, functional and transport vehicles 10/2006, Förderkreis Deutsches Heer e. V., Report Verlag
- ↑ Product specification | KMW. In: kmweg.de. Retrieved December 11, 2012 .
- ↑ Answer of the Federal Government to the minor question of the members Elke Hoff, Birgit Homburger, Dr. Rainer Stinner, another member of the FDP parliamentary group - printed matter 16/6854 - extent of the use of protected vehicles in Afghanistan ( BT-Drs. 16/7094 , PDF 122.6 KiB, November 13, 2007), answer to question 11
- ↑ Recommended action prioritization of material investments ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (P. 13)
