The Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier (ATTC) is a twin chassis multi-purpose
tracked articulated vehicle jointly developed by
ST Kinetics and the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) for the
Singapore Army
The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), which was formed i ...
. The variant which was in service as a UOR with the
UK armed forces is known as the Warthog.
Design
Designed to traverse difficult terrain, the Bronco has a ground pressure of 60 kPa and is fitted with heavy-duty seamless rubber tracks and a running gear system for soft ground conditions and directional stability. Swimming operations require minimal preparation and it can achieve a swimming speed of 5 km/h. The Bronco's four-sprocket drive, fully articulated steering with optional differential lock provides for small turning radius manoeuvres and improved performance.
The Bronco has a load carrying capacity of up to 5 tonnes and is capable of a top speed of on the road and at least on cross-country terrain. An advantage the standard Bronco has over other western
armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world.
Acc ...
s is its relatively large interior, with seating for 16 including the driver, dependent on percentile measurements.
At the DSEI 2017 exhibit, ST Kinetics announced that the Bronco 3 has been fully developed and a static model was made available.
Deployment
The Bronco has been in service with the
Singapore Armed Forces for several years, with more than 600 delivered.
British service
In December 2008, ST Kinetics was awarded a £150 million single source contract by the
British Ministry of Defence for over 100 Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carriers for use in
Afghanistan under an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR). The vehicles, known as Warthog in British service, supplemented the similar
BvS 10 Viking vehicles operating in southern Afghanistan by the British military, and was procured as part of a £700 million package of Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs) announced by Defence Secretary
John Hutton. Deliveries began in the third quarter of 2009 and finished in 2010.
Four Warthog variants were built under the contract – Troop Carrier, Ambulance, Command, and Repair & Recovery. A different engine was used, a Caterpillar C7 turbocharged 6-cylinder diesel delivering 350 hp. The ambulance variant is capable of carrying casualties, medics and kit. Warthog's
repair and recovery variant is fitted with a crane and winch, and has the capability to tow another 18-tonne Warthog vehicle back from the front line.
Once delivered to the UK, contractor
Thales fitted the vehicles according to MoD specifications with Bowman communications systems, specialist electronic counter-measure equipment and extra protective armour including bar armour, protected seats for occupants at their facility in the former MoD depot at
Llangennech near
Llanelli,
South Wales
South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...
. The first vehicles arrived in service to Afghanistan in mid-2010.
In December 2010, British Army soldier – Lance Corporal William Reeks – survived an IED attack after the Warthog he was travelling in set off an
improvised explosive device believed to be . His family believes that the stronger armour of the Warthogs, which replaced less heavily fortified Viking armoured vehicles prior to their protection upgrades, helped save their son's life.
Warthog continued in British service in
Helmand Province until the closure of
Camp Bastion
Camp Shorabak (formerly Camp Bastion) is a former British Army airbase, located northwest of the city of Lashkargah in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The camp was situated in a remote desert area, far from population centres.
The camp was built ...
in 2015. It was crewed throughout its use in Afghanistan by soldiers exclusively from the
Royal Armoured Corps. The last Warthog Group came from C (the Duke of Edinburgh) Squadron, the
Queen's Royal Hussars.
Jane's military guide has reported that British Warthog vehicles will be transformed to serve as transporter vehicles for
Thales Watchkeeper UAV manned by
32nd Regiment Royal Artillery
32 Regiment Royal Artillery ("The Wessex Gunners") is a regiment in the Royal Artillery, part of the British Army and is equipped with the Lockheed Martin Desert Hawk III and PUMA 2 miniature unmanned aerial vehicles. 32nd Regiment is the only R ...
and
47th Regiment Royal Artillery
47 Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Artillery in the British Army. It is equipped with the Thales Watchkeeper WK450. It is located at Horne Barracks, Larkhill in Wiltshire. It falls under command of 1st Aviation Brigade.
Hist ...
under the
Army 2020 concept. A March 2016 Jane's report stated the British army replaced the Warthog in October 2015, as it was specifically for use in Afghanistan operations.
Variants
Singapore has already deployed several variants of the Bronco, including ambulance, engineer, repair and recovery, load carrier, troop carrier and fuel resupply vehicles.
Mortar Tracked Carrier
A variant of the Bronco All-Terrain Tracked Carrier, the Mortar Tracked Carrier (MTC) is jointly developed by the SAF, DSTA and Singapore Technologies Kinetics. Operating on a 4 men crew, the MTC's primary weapon is the ST Kinetics 120mm
Super Rapid Advanced Mortar System
Super may refer to:
Computing
* SUPER (computer program), or Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer, a video converter / player
* Super (computer science), a keyword in object-oriented programming languages
* Super key (keyboard but ...
(SRAMS), the world's first recoiled mortar to incorporate a blast diffuser, greatly reducing the
blast overpressure effect generated by mortars, thus allowing longer periods of firing without injuring the crew. The MTC has a built-in Automatic Fire Control System (AFCS) comprising a Fire Control Unit and an
inertial navigation system, allowing it to conduct immediate deployment without conventional surveying methods. A hydro-pneumatic Recoil System reduces the overall recoil force, thus allowing minimal reinforcement of the original hull structure, and post-firing stabilising time. This increases the rate of firing with improved accuracy.
The AFCS is also equipped with a Mortar Platoon Management System (MPMS), which enables it to be networked via the Battlefield Management System (BMS).
Operators
Current operators
*:
Singapore Armed Forces
*:
Royal Thai Army (4 Vehicles)
Former operators
* :
British Army
See also
*
BvS 10 – the vehicle supplemented by the Bronco in British Army service. BvS10 remains in service with 5 Nations.
*
Sisu Nasu - Finnish tracked ATV
*
Bandvagn 206 - Swedish tracked ATV currently in service
*
Vityaz (ATV) - large, Soviet tracked ATV
References
;Notes
;
*Christopher F Foss (2009-02-22
First public showing for STK’s WarthogRetrieved 2009-10-10.
;
External links
Manufacturer's website*
*
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Amphibious military vehicles
Tracked amphibious vehicles
Two-section tracked all-terrain vehicles
Combat vehicles of Singapore
Armoured fighting vehicles of the United Kingdom
Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s