The Italian Army’s Rombo cybersecurity unit has begun to develop an experimental electronic warfare vehicle on the all-wheel drive chassis of the Tekne Graelion.
From the genealogy of fire trucks
The military version of the vehicle was created on the basis of Graelion for the fire protection units of the European Union. The manufacturer has a narrow specialization there, but the chassis caught the eye of defense specialists.
The experimental electronic warfare vehicle was first used at the ceremony of presenting flags to three formed military units.
The story was reported in the news on January 26 this year, and from this and some other open sources, one can put together a puzzle about the history of this vehicle and its main properties. Not even so much an EW vehicle as a chassis. Probably, this version of the EW is the only one in the military so far, as evidenced by the license plate with the symbolic order of the register SR 001 CD.
First of all, the military selected a lightweight wheelbase for the planned production of a maneuverable and highly cross-country electronic warfare vehicle. The development of the hardware room was nearing completion, but there was no proper chassis yet.
The undercarriage for the Unimog U 20 with a GVW of 7.5 to 8.5 tons, which is produced under the Mercedes-Benz brand, is a bit massive. I needed something lighter.
The Italian LCV Iveco Daily 4×4 with a gross vehicle weight of 3.5 tons was also not suitable – it was too light. The hardware electronic warfare system required a slightly more powerful wheelbase.
In an unoccupied niche of size groups
In search of something intermediate between the Unimog and the Daily, the Graelion chassis from Tekne caught my eye. The technical specifications bribed us – exactly what the developers requested for their superstructure with equipment in the cabin and external antennas.
Various versions of civilian superstructures from a dozen Graelion 75 modifications, including a tire and rail version of the chassis for operation on railroad tracks. Photo: Tekne
The passport payload of the proposed Graelion 75 model is 4.5 tons with a gross weight of 7.5 tons. This part of the technical specifications was completely in line with the request.
By the way, the 7.5 tone niche is practically free. Here, Graelion can be considered the founder of a new size group that borders between the chassis of light commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tons and medium-duty vehicles from 7.5 tons. Graelion is in the middle
With all-wheel drive on portal bridges
The military was satisfied with all-wheel drive on portal bridges with a 4×4 wheel formula and a gear ratio of 5.1 and a ground clearance of 450 mm; The wheelbase also suited the needs – from 3000 to 4250 mm in 250 mm increments;
At the same time, the manufacturer drew the military’s attention to the frame. In addition to being reinforced for heavy loads (6 mm steel with crossbeams), it is based on many engineering solutions borrowed from Astra’s high-capacity all-wheel drive vehicles, including special military vehicles. This is very important for special vehicles with superstructures.
With the power potential of Daily
Third, the domestic chassis was equipped with a domestic engine. Under the hood was a 4-cylinder in-line 3-liter turbo diesel engine Iveco F1C with an output of 173 hp and a maximum torque of 430 Nm at 1600 rpm.
By the way, this power unit is used in Iveco Daily, including the new model. including the all-wheel drive model Iveco Daily 4×4 35S18W 3.0HPT.
As for the gearbox, there are two versions to suit the customer’s preferences. The engine can be connected to both a 6-speed ZF manual transmission and an Allison automatic transmission with the same number of forward and reverse positions. The transfer case here has a lower gear and a lockup.
Under the classification “secret”
The cab is standard with two seats for the driver and passenger. It has modern equipment, including digital gadgets. But there is no information about the hardware electronic warfare in the body superstructure.
There is only a hint that the most advanced electronic warfare systems were installed inside, without mentioning the characteristics, operating parameters and operational area of influence – a military secret.
Of course, the electronic warfare vehicle is only at the initial stage of implementation in Italian army units. It is possible that our diplomats and representatives of the military leadership are already negotiating the supply of these mobile electronic warfare systems to Ukraine.
And this is understandable: we could use a few dozen of these vehicles not only at the front, but also around critical infrastructure facilities.
