Condor (APC)
The Condor is a 4×4 wheeled armoured personnel carrier originally designed by Thyssen-Henschel of Germany and manufactured by Henschel Wehrtechnik GmbH.[1] The first prototype was completed in 1978. The Condor was designed as a successor to its UR-416 APC. The upgraded Condor 2 was first sold in 2004. Today, the Condor is considered a legacy product of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles, part of Rheinmetall's Vehicle Systems Division.[2] The nearest vehicle to the Condor in RMMV's current product range is the Survivor R.
| Condor APC | |
|---|---|
A Condor of the Malaysian Army. | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| Wars | Kurdish-Turkish conflict Somali Civil War |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 12.4 metric tons[1] |
| Length | 6.13 m[1] |
| Width | 2.47 m[1] |
| Height | 2.18 m[1] |
| Crew | 2+12 |
Main armament | 20 mm cannon |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mm |
| Engine | Mercedes Benz OM352A / 6 cylinder diesel engine[1] 168 hp (125 kW) |
| Suspension | Portal axle with coil spring and shock-absorbers[1] |
Operational range | 900 km[1] |
| Maximum speed | 95 km/h[1] |
Design
The Condor is designed primarily as an APC but it can also adopted for a variety of other roles including anti-tank, cargo carrier, command vehicle, ambulance, fitters' vehicle and reconnaissance vehicle. The Condor is based on the automotives of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog, the Condor 2 based on the Unimog U5000. The hull of the Condor is made of all-welded armoured steel protecting the crew from 7.62 mm armour-piercing (AP) rounds and 5.56 mm ball-type rounds, shell splinters and anti-personnel mines. The Condor is fully amphibious, propelled in the water by a propeller mounted under the rear of the hull. It is air-transportable in C-130 Hercules and in C-160 Transall type aircraft.[2][1]
In 2016, Deftech showed a working upgraded Condor prototype at the DSA 2016 convention.[3] A Condor prototype converted to serve as a logistics transport vehicle was unveiled at the DSA 2018 convention.[4]
Operators
- : Kuwait's National Guard received 8 Condor 2 in 2010.[2]
- : Malaysia ordered 460 Condor APCs in late 1981, with the last being delivered in March 1984.[2] It's due to be replaced completely under the Next Generation Wheeled Armoured Vehicle project.[5]
- : Portugal has 12 Condor;[2] these are operated by the Polícia Aérea of the Portuguese Air Force.
- : South Korea, 2 Condor 1 (used in general hospital)[citation needed]
- : Thailand received 18 Condor in 1995,[2] these are operated by the Royal Thai Air Force)
- : Turkey has 25 Condor (inactive; currently being retired).
- : Uruguay has 55 Condor.[2]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Condor". militaryfactory.com. from the original on 2017-06-12. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Condor APC". IHS Jane's Christopher F Foss. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
- ^ "Deftech proposes an upgrade version of Condor 4x4 armoured personnel carrier to Malaysian army 12004164 | DSA 2016 Official Online Show Daily News | Defence security military exhibition 2016 daily news category". from the original on 2017-06-02. Retrieved 2017-06-10.
- ^ "DSA 2018: New Condor 4x4 vehicle logistic support variant unveiled by Deftech | DSA 2018 News Official Show Daily | Defence security military exhibition 2018 daily news category". from the original on 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2018-04-18.
- ^ "Hyundai Rotem competes with 6x6 K806 for Malaysian army armored vehicles replacement | Defense News September 2021 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army year 2021 | Archive News year".
External links
- Malaysian Condor upgrade
- Condor test drive