KALYANI M4 APV – THE MOBILE ARMOUR TO PROTECT OUR SOLDIERS
The Kalyani Group pavilion at the DefExpo 2020 had a huge armored personnel carrier take center stage.
KALYANI M4 is a multi-role platform, designed to meet specific requirement of forces operating in rough terrain and areas affected by mine blasts and side blasts. It can carry seven troops and offers very high levels of ballistic and mine protections (upto a 50kg TNT side blast or IED/roadside bombs ) due to its innovative flat-floor monocoque hull design.
But, before we get into why the M4 is such an interesting vehicle, let’s clear a couple of things first. One — it’s called the Mbombe 4, and is built by the Paramount Group, a South African company that’s built and sold the Mbombe family of vehicles to quite a few international clients by now
Two — the Mbombe 4 is the smallest in the Mbombe family, which also includes the Mbombe 8 and Mbombe 6, packing much heavier firepower compared to the Mbombe 4.
Here’s what we know so far
1.The M4 is designed as an armored personnel carrier with a higher emphasis on performance and crew protection.
2.It can carry a maximum payload of 2.3 tons or a crew of up to eight.
3. The 16-ton vehicle has an impressive 43-degree approach angle and a 44-degree descent angle — the world’s best off-roaders can manage up to 35 degrees approach and 28 degrees descent
4. The hull is of a monocoque type, which means that it’s an armored shell with everything installed inside of it.
5. The forward crew cab is fitted with a large two-piece windshield, which offers a clear view of the surroundings to the crew, enhancing situational awareness, while a ramp at the rear end makes ingress and egress of dismounted troops easy.According to Defence Decode, the fording depth is 900mm.
6. Think of a very strong, armored egg, and that’s what the M4 is like.
7. The viewports are made of glass hardened enough to withstand sniper and anti-materiel rifle fire.
8. The M4 is powered by a turbocharged six-cylinder diesel engine of yet unknown displacement with a power rating of 347 kW(465hp) and 1627 Nm( 165 kg-m).
9. The numbers alone make it at least twice as powerful as other similar vehicles currently used in the Indian Army.
10. This powertrain layout gives it impressive performance; the top speed is 140 kph, with a maximum range of 800 km
11. The engine and power transfer unit are located along one straight line running through the center of the chassis, as this eliminates the use of an off-set driveline used in many four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Source:- Medium
