Oct 2012 Compendium 1 - Armada

This picture shows the three crew
members positions in the Panhard Crab
and the Thales Vsys-net vetronic system.
(Armada/Paolo Valpolini)
height being a mere 1.8 metres over
the roof. The cabin shape has also been
engineered to minimise radar reflection,
with angled surfaces contributing to both
a lower RCS and a higher protection
against ballistic threat.
Turning back to mobility, the Crab has
a permanent 4x4 drive, but while both
its axles steer they can do so either in
opposition to generate a turning circle
of less than 10 metres, or in unison, hence
heading in the lateral same direction
(albeit at a limited angle), to enable the
vehicle to “drift” sideways like a crab!
Moreover a rear-looking camera and
a two-ratio reverse gearbox enable the
Panhard vehicle to quickly back away in
yet another configuration where only the
rear wheels are allowed to steer. As for
suspensions, these are derived from those
adopted by the Panhard VBR 4x4, which
features independent oleo-pneumatic
suspensions and adjustable ground
clearance (standard ground clearance
being set at 450 mm). A noteworthy
point is that the Crab adopts tyres of
similar dimensions as those of the VBR.
The Crab is built around a citadel
A pictorial of Panhard Crab in an urban
scenario. Light, well protected and heavily
armed, the new Panhard vehicle is the
company answer to the needs of the near
future. (Panhard)
hosting the three-man crew, with access
through two vertical clamshell doors – the
lower clam embedding a step to facilitate
ingress and egress given the Crab floor
height. Panhard proposes its new vehicle
with ballistic protection of between Level
2 and Level 4 to meet customer needs.
As for mine protection the company
has tested underbelly armour solutions
up to Level 3a, although the vehicle has
some growth potential also in that field.
It is to note that the underbelly does not
have the typical deep “V” shape: in the
middle the bottom is flat while only the
sides are rising, maximum protection
being obtained thanks to a triple floor
that absorbs most of the energy. Wings
(fenders in American) are made of light
material, which in the event of a mine
detonation will vent out most of the
energy and thereby reduce the height
at which the Crab would be heaved by
the explosion and conversely reduce the
subsequent “landing thump”. Energy
absorption seats further reduce injury
risk for the crew, but nevertheless ensure
maximum ergonomics when the Crab
moves at high speed over rough terrain.
The driver faces three multifunction
colour screens, while commander and
gunner have two. To ensure maximum
situational awareness the Crab is
equipped with a six-camera 360° vision
system. The front windscreen is made of
three elements and is angled to ensure
optimal upward direct visibility, a
vital necessity in urban terrain. Thales
purposely developed for the Crab an
innovative vetronic system (systronic)
known as the Vsys-net that improves
the overall system performance in terms
of mobility, observation, protection and
firepower. Based on an open and modular
non-proprietary architecture it allows
easy interfacing with electronic systems
of various origins. The Crab systronic
includes a battlefield management
system and a radio system that allows its
integration into the Scorpion digitised
scenario. The Vsys-net allows full rerolling
of the three combat positions
in order to optimise the workload in
the various moments of the mission.
Although the commander maintains his
prerogative, the hunter-killer function
armada Compendium Light Armoured Vehicles 2012
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