Israeli Stinger – a second life for the Humvee

The article was published in Defence24. The point of view expressed in this article is authorial and do not necessarily reflect BM`s editorial stance.

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WARSAW, (BM) – IDEX 2021, held in Abu Dhabi, is the first major global arms show following the COVID-19 outbreak. Due to this fact and the potential of the Middle East armaments market, the capital of the United Arab Emirates has plenty of key “players” and premieres of new types of equipment and weapons.

This fact also applied to Israeli companies, which, despite the official ban on international air travel issued by the Israeli authorities, could not and did not want to give up the opportunity to present their products at the IDEX 2021 fair that ended in February 25, 2021. Hence, many “made in Israel” solutions at other stands actors, including local businesses. One of them was the International Golden Group (IGG) from Abu Dhabi, where the Plasan Stinger Light Combat Vehicle was presented.

The LCV Stinger was built based on the HMMWV chassis, on which the body is mounted in the form of an armored cabin/capsule made in Plasan’s patented “Kitted Hull” technology which is using in such constructions as M-ATV, JLTV, or Hawkei. Its unique feature is delivering ready-made bodies in kits for assembly directly to the vehicle manufacturer. This technology also allows armor levels to be scaled much more quickly than in “traditional” solutions.

The body offers two sets of shield resistance: kit A and kit B. The first version provides a three-person crew with protection against fire and the effects of mine explosions at level 2, according to STANG 4569. After putting putty B, we get to level 4 according to STANG 4569. Effect on resistance The shape of the cabin, the “walls” of which including at different angles, also increases projectiles’ risk.

Regardless of the armor set used, the bulletproof glass installed in the Stinger’s body meets the requirements of level 3 according to STANG 4569. The crew capsule is equipped with two doors and three relatively large windows, providing the driver sitting in the middle with a perfect field of vision.

The use of composite armor technology (including ceramic-metal composites) made it possible to create a vehicle based on the Humvee chassis with a GVM of 6.8 tons and a load capacity of 1,000 kg. Its popularity dictated this platform’s choice in various regions of the world, durability, and engine of appropriate power (205 HP), which works with an automatic transmission, independent suspension, and permanent all-wheel drive (4×4). Hence, Humvee’s elements were also installed inside the Stinger, such as the dashboard, steering wheel, and switches.

The ability to overcome obstacles, such as the AM General chassis, such as the angle of attack (47 degrees) and the wading depth (760 mm), spoke in favor of such a choice. The Stinger can travel at a maximum speed of 120 km / h.

The Israeli vehicle can be armed with two remotely controlled firing points (RWS). The main armament is a position equipped with a 12.7 mm MG or a 30 mm automatic grenade launcher and integrated with an anti-tank guided missile launcher. The manufacturer can mount the second mount in front of the engine and arms with a 7.62 mm machine gun. Such location of the weapon system enables the vehicle crew to “see” and fire from behind curtains (e.g., building corners) with minimal exposure of the vehicle and the team to the threat, enemy fire. The Stinger can also be equipped with missile launchers of various categories (mounted on the sides of the body in its rear part), which provides unprecedented firepower for a vehicle of this class.

Another unique feature of the Stinger is the ability to control the vehicle remotely. The remote control system includes a control unit (ECU) that manages the electric actuators that control the gearbox, pedals, and steering wheel. Other elements are cameras mounted outside the body in armored housings and operator panels for each crew member enabling remote control of the vehicle and its armament/equipment. Interestingly, the unmanned mode can be activated with one button and does not require any additional actions on the crew or changes in the vehicle structure.

Thanks to this functionality, crew members can carry out the task from a safe distance. At the same time, the vehicle can move in the danger zone, conduct surveillance, fire at detected targets, or, for example, provoke a hidden enemy to reveal his position. The unmanned Stinger may also be used as a cover for facilities, convoys, and many other tasks where there is no need to use a human-crewed vehicle.

The light combat vehicle concept has evolved in Plasana over several years. The Stinger design has been refined in collaboration with IGG to meet potential customers’ specific requirements in the region. Since IGG can supply armored bodies in “build” kits, Stingers can be produced in large or small batches using available HMMWV undercarriages. All this allows you to transform the often unarmored or unarmed tactical vehicles into intelligent and armed light armored combat platforms.

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