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
- : Argentina is estimated to operate 20 Condor.[2]
- : 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]
- : 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)
- : 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 44 Condor.[2]
See also
References
- "Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Condor". militaryfactory.com. Archived from the original on 2017-06-12. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
- "Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Condor APC". IHS Jane's Christopher F Foss. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-06-02. Retrieved 2017-06-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2018-04-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
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