The URO VAMTAC is an all-purpose military vehicle designed, developed, and produced by UROVESA of Spain initially for the Spanish military. The vehicle shares similarities in both style lines and battlefield role to the multi-role / multi-purpose American HUMVEE detailed elsewhere on this site. The VAMTAC ("Vehiculo de Alta Movilidad Tactico" or "Vehicle of High Mobility, Tactical") has been in active service since 1996 and has been taken on by the forces of the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Indonesia, Iraq, Malaysia, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Spain in numbers collectively exceeding 4,500 units to date (2021).
Origins of the VAMTAC lay in an original Spanish military requirement calling for an multi-role / multi-purpose battlefield vehicle in line with the American HUMVEE design of the 1980s. The program did not pick up steam until the mid-1990s which resulted in an in-house Spanish design being evolved for the requirement (as opposed to purchase of the proven American vehicle). Serial production of the VAMTAC began in 1998 and continued into 2003 for first-batch models resulting in a follow-up order arriving in 2005 with modifications to suit operational experiences to date.
Despite its obvious appearance akin to the American HUMVEE, the VAMTAC is considered its own design. Beyond its intended military value, police forces and security teams have also taken up the type - such is its versatility. It has become the standard operating vehicle for the Spanish Armed Forces which has already proven the design in actions across Afghanistan.
The base design has 4x4 capability assisting in offroad travel. Roadwheels are well-spaced and designed to run flat in combat conditions while giving ample clearance over the traveling surface. The driver sits at front-left and four total occupants is a typical load out. Dimensions include a running length of 15.9 feet, a beam of 7.1 feet, and a height of 6.2 feet. Power is from a single Steyr Motors turbo-charged diesel-fueled engine rated around 186 horsepower to drive the conventional four-wheeled arrangement. The engine is fitted to its usual place at the bow of the chassis and mated to a five-speed automatic transmission system. The vehicle sits atop a four-wheel independent double-wishbone arrangement relying on coil-type springs for support. Road weight reaches up to 7,700lb depending on configuration, passengers, cargo, and weapon load out.
As designed, the truck can reach road speeds of 85 miles-per-hour with a range out to 370 miles with its 29 gallon (US) fuel store.
Typical armament is a single 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun on a trainable pintle mounting in an open-air position over the hull roof. This weapon arrangement requires an occupant to manual operate it and the installation can be replaced with a smaller-caliber (7.62mm) General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL), or Anti-Tank Guided-Missile (ATGM) launcher as needed.
Ram bars can be fitted to the nose of the truck.
Like the HUMVEE, the VAMTAC can be delivered in two- or four-door hull types and arranged with a flat bed, whole body, and special-missions modular assemblies as needed.
Variants of the series include the standard support/utility model, an ambulance version, an Anti-Tank Guided-Missile (ATGM) carrier showcasing the American BGM-71 TOW/TOW-2 or French MILAN ATGM weapon, Anti-Aircraft (AA) model carrying 20mm/23mm automatic cannons or Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) launcher, Command & Communications (CC2) vehicle with enhanced communications suite, Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV) specifically for SPECial OPerationS (SPECOPS) forces, rocket-projector form (for the Multiple Launch Rocket System - MLRS - role), and a PSYOPS loudspeaker-equipped platform.
Notable designations of the line include the Rebeco, I3, S3, S3 (ARMORED), ST5, ST5 BN3 (uparmored to STANAG 3), and SK95.
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ANTI-TANK / ANTI-ARMOR
Base model or variant can be used to track, engage, and defeat armored enemy elements at range.
RECONNAISSANCE
Can conduct reconnaissance / scout missions to assess threat levels, enemy strength, et al - typically through lightweight design.
UTILITY
General utility-minded design to accomplish a variety of battlefield tasks, typically in a non-direct-combat fashion.
SPECIAL PURPOSE
Special purpose design developed to accomplish an equally-special battlefield role or roles.
15.9 ft (4.85 meters) Length
7.2 ft (2.18 meters) Width
6.2 ft (1.9 meters) Height
7,716 lb (3,500 kg) Weight
3.9 tons (Light-class) Tonnage
1 x Steyr Motors turbocharged diesel-fueled engine developing 185 horsepower driving conventional four-wheeled arrangement. Drive System
84 mph (135 kph) Road Speed
388 miles (625 km) Road Range
OPTIONAL:
1 x 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) OR 1 x 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) OR 1 x 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL) on pintle mounting on cabin roof.
Specialized versions equipped for role such as missile carrier fielding TOW/TOW-2 or MILAN Anti-Tank Guided-Missile weapon. Rocket projector and air defense forms also noted with appropriate armament fits (missile, ballistic, etc.).
Also any personal arms carried by the crew/passengers.
AMMUNITION
Dependent upon armament fit.
VAMTAC ("Vehiculo de Alta Movilidad Tactico") - Base Series Designation / Name.
VAMTAC Rebeco - Primary model of 1998-2003.
VAMTAC I3 - Primary model of 2004-2010.
VAMTAC S3 (T5) - Model of 2004-2010.
VAMTAC S3 ARMORED - Up-armored variant of 2004-2010.
VAMTAC ST5 - Current (2020) production / operational model in service since 2013.
VAMTAC ST5 BN3 - Model of 2015 with up-armoring for STANAG 3 level protection.
VAMTAC SK95 - Variant of 2018; Light Artillery Tractor (ST5 chassis).
VAMTAC MED - Ambulance variant with fixed, oversized rear cabin.
VAMTAC ATGM - Anti-Tank Guided-Missile carrier vehicle.
VAMTAC AA - Mobile self-propeller Anti-Aircraft vehicle mounting either Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) or automatic cannons.
VAMTAC PSYOPS - Loudspeaker-equipped model.
VAMTAC FAV - Fast Attack Vehicle variant for special forces.
VAMTAC C2 - Command & Communications vehicle fitting extra communications equipment.
VAMTAC MLRS - Mobile rocket-projecting vehicle form.
VAMTAC COM - Communications vehicle with additional communications equipment.
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