15-10-2006, 09:54
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חבר מתאריך: 04.03.05
הודעות: 490
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בבקשה - גולן מתוך ה- Janes
Golan unveiled for Israeli/US market
NATHAN hODGE JDW Staff Reporter & ALON BEN-DAVID JDW Correspondent
Washington, DC, and Tel Aviv, October 6, 2006
- The Golan has been designed for urban combat in response to an Israel Defence Force need
Israel's Rafael Armament Development Authority has paired with Protected Vehicles Inc (PVI), a South Carolina-based manufacturer of mine-hardened vehicles, to produce a new 4 x 4 armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) for potential Israeli and US military customers.
Developed in response to a burgeoning Israeli requirement for AFVs, the Golan (pictured) is based on the Merkava main battle tank (MBT) design concept, in which the armour protection system accounts for approximately 50 per cent of the gross volume weight.
The vehicle is a 10-seat medium-sized armoured truck that features a blast-resistant hull, a protected passenger and crew compartment and a remote-controlled weapon station. Designed specifically for urban combat, it offers a significantly higher level of protection than an up-armoured Humvee or light tactical vehicle.
Garth Barrett, PVI's chief executive officer and chief technology officer, told Jane's that the Golan had a "flexible" design that can be configured as light, medium or heavy. Drawing on Rafael's expertise, the Golan can incorporate Insensitive Explosive Reactive Armour (IERA) for a higher level of armour protection.
Without IERA, Golan will have additional storage space. The vehicle is designed to accommodate Rafael's Mini-Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station, a stabilised system that mounts a variety of weapons, including small- and medium-calibre machine guns, automatic grenade launchers and anti-tank missiles.
In production, the Golan would cost between USD600,000 and USD700,000 per unit, depending on the level of protection. Barrett said the vehicle has not yet been sold, but will undergo a series of tests conducted by the Israel Defence Force. The vehicle has also been offered to the US Marine Corps for evaluation.
"We are building other vehicles, and if we need to, we'll take it to the [US Army] Aberdeen Proving Ground", Barrett said.
In addition to the Golan, PVI recently unveiled the PVI-Alpha, a 4 x 4 light protected vehicle designed as an interim replacement for the US military's up-armoured Humvee. The US Army and Marine Corps are studying options for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), a successor to the up-armoured Humvee that will have a reconfigurable armour system and a built-in level of basic protection.
The services, however, have not launched a full JLTV competition, and Barrett said the PVI-Alpha, which costs under USD300,000, could serve as a relatively inexpensive replacement for the up-armoured Humvee.
Barrett said private security companies operating in places like Iraq and Afghanistan might also see the Alpha as an alternative to up-armoured civilian vehicles like the GMC Suburban.
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