The Wolf Armoured Vehicle ( he, זאב) is an

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 ...

, used mainly by the Israeli Defence Force. It was created to provide a better handling and better protected armoured vehicle than the M113 (Bardelas). The Wolf is a heavily armoured crew carrier, manufactured by the company Carmor. It combines a commercial truck's speed and maneuverability and APC-like armour, qualities necessary for low-intensity confrontation. The Wolf's chassis is based on a

Ford F-550 The Ford Super Duty (short for F-Series Super Duty) is a series of heavy-duty pickup trucks produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 1999 model year. Slotted above the consumer-oriented Ford F-150, the Super Duty trucks are an expansion of ...

truck, and is equipped with a 6-litre

V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and u ...

capable of reaching 325

horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...

. The engine is combined with a 5-speed

automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving ...

, which drives all four wheels, making this a

four-by-four Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case ...

Creation

Concept and purchase

The idea for the Wolf was born from the need of transporting soldiers safely during missions in an urban environment, and in peacekeeping missions. Recently the

Israeli Ministry of Defense The Ministry of Defense ( he, מִשְׂרַד הַבִּטָּחוֹן, Misrad HaBitahon, Ministry of Security, acronym: he, משהב"ט) of the government of Israel, is the governmental department responsible for defending the State of Isra ...

ordered 150 Wolf Armoured Vehicles from

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. ( he, רפאל - מערכות לחימה מתקדמות בע"מ, formerly Rafael Armament Development Authority), ("Rafael" from Hebrew acronym of "Authority for the Development of Armaments" - ) is an Israel ...

and an order for Carmor, for some to be used in urban combat. This is currently in production as of 2019. The vehicle's first reported use was by the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...

in Operation Bringing Home the Goods on 14 March 2006.

Build

The Wolf consists of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)

chassis modified by Manning Equipment, an OEM up-fitter located in

Louisville, KY Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

so it can be easily maintained anywhere. It is equipped with a diesel, 6 litre 325 HP engine and automatic 5 speed transmission. It can weigh up to 8

tonnes The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton (United States c ...

. The automotive systems require no changes when the

armor Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

is applied. The armor protects crew compartment, automotive elements and wheels. The armor envelope is built independently from the chassis, so it is possible to use the same armor envelope on another chassis (of the same model) when the chassis goes out for service. The hull roof can accept a

Remote Weapon Station A remote controlled weapon station (RCWS), or remote weapon station (RWS), also known as a remote weapon system (RWS), is a remotely operated weaponized system often equipped with fire-control system for light and medium-caliber weapons which ca ...

(RWS) which allows the occupants to engage enemies without exposure. The Wolf is a multiroled truck. Its main purpose is for infantry transport, however, some vehicles may be transformed specifically as an ambulance.

Design

The vehicle is completely protected, including the wheels, which have

run flat tires A run-flat tire/tyre is a pneumatic vehicle tire that is designed to resist the effects of deflation when punctured, and to allow the vehicle to continue to be driven at reduced speeds - under – and for limited distances – usually , depending ...

. The armour is , and is not critical to the Wolf's overall weight, since its maximum load is . All of the doors of the vehicle are bulletproof, including the engine and gearbox compartments. There are six doors—four on the sides and two at the rear—that enable troops to get in and out easily and quickly with all of their equipment. The vehicle interior is equipped with a double air conditioning system, seats and brackets for items that a soldier might need. Since no major changes have been done to the F-550

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpar ...

, except the addition of armor, the vehicle does not have any problems with engine overheating or handling. The Wolf weighs approximately , and can carry a crew of up to 12 personnel, with an additional 2 stretch beds, if necessary. The doors are designed for a quick getaway. Most of the original parts were kept, with the only notable changes being the rear

axle An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, beari ...

and tires.

Operators

Current operators

* –

Military Police of São Paulo State The Polícia Militar do Estado de São Paulo (''São Paulo State Military Police'') is a law enforcement agency (Military Police (Brazil)) of the military kind in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is the largest state police force in the count ...

. * – at least 13"''On the 20th anniversary of its independence, Georgia staged the largest military parade since the August war 2008. On May 26 tanks, weapons and soldiers marched in review in front of the Parliament to mark two decades of independent Georgia. The Ministry of Defence showcased state-of-the-art equipment. Opened by “boxes” of soldiers, the parade featured eight “Didgori” type armored cars (of both modifications), a Turkish armored car “Edger”, thirteen U.S. armored Hammer cars and thirteen Israeli armored “Wolf” and nine Ukrainian cargo trucks with soldiers. The Israeli “Wolf” first appeared in May 2009 at Mukhvrovani''"
Irakli Aladashvili
The independence parade – a showcase of military technology
// "Georgia Today", № 563 (27 May – 2 June 2011) operated by both military and police units. * –

Ethiopian National Defense Force The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) ( am, የኢፌዲሪ መከላከያ ሠራዊት, Ye’īfēdērī mekelakeya šerawīt, lit=FDRE Defense Force) is the military force of Ethiopia. Civilian control of the military is carried out t ...

5 bought, 70 more to be made under local production. * –

Israeli Defense Forces Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli (b ...

. * – used by law enforcement agencies. * – used by the Military Police units of the

Romanian Land Forces The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...

Gallery

File:Zeev-Ambulance.jpg File:Zeev-Ambulance-1.jpg File:Zeev 1.jpg File:Zeev-row.jpg File:Batalionul 265 politie militara 07.jpg File:Wolf 2 car.jpg

References

External links

{{Modern IFV and APC Armoured fighting vehicles of Israel All-wheel-drive vehicles Off-road vehicles Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Internal security vehicles Paramilitary vehicles Wheeled armoured personnel carriers Military vehicles introduced in the 2000s