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Babcock General Logistics Vehicle in Focus ~ Pt 2

Babcock GLV Medium and Long Wheel Base variant prototypes at DVD 2024 [© Bob Morrison]

The Babcock General Logistics Vehicle or GLV is being developed as a potential replacement for the UK Forces TUM and TUM(HD) fleet, reports Bob Morrison.

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The Babcock GLV, which is based on the Toyota 70-Series Land Cruiser, has a traditional ladder chassis and pressed steel body. It is powered by the Toyota 2.8-litre four-cylinder 1GD-FTV turbo-diesel engine, which produces 201bhp (150kW) through a six-speed automatic transmission with two-speed transfer box.

Front suspension is as standard for the 70-Series, which uses a rigid front axle with coil springs and dampers. However rather than using standard Toyota leaf springs at the rear, Babcock has fitted COTS (i.e. commercial off-the-shelf) Toyota coil springs and dampers to give more consistent occupant comfort irrespective of loading; disc brakes, rather than the usual drum brakes, are also fitted at the rear.

Three GLV base models are proposed on 2310mm Short, 2730mm Medium and 3180mm Long wheelbase chassis versions, plus a 6×6 base model with 3300+1000mm wheelbase is under development. Bodywork options include: 2/3-door Hard Top and Soft Top on all wheelbases; 4/5 door Hard Top and Soft Top on all chassis except Short Wheel Base; 2-door Pick-up or Chassis Cab on Long Wheel Base and 6×6; and Armoured on all wheelbases. The LWB GS (General Service) version, of which three prototypes were exhibited at DVD 2024, has a 4-door crew cab and a Hard Top rear cargo compartment with clamshell rear doors. A 3-door high roof Hard Top with side windows, which could fulfil troop carrier or command and communications roles, has also been developed for a potential non-UK customer.

The GLV Approach Angle is given as being in excess of 40° for all versions with 25° Departure Angle for all but the Short Wheel Base, which is quoted as being 36°. Minimum ground clearance is 240mm under the differentials and unprepared wading depth is 1000mm. As a result of the Babcock rear suspension conversion to coils, the front and rear track are both 1555mm; this addresses what some consider to be a long-standing issue with the leaf-sprung rear suspension original vehicle.

The kerb weight of Medium and Long Wheel Base standard variants is 2400kg and 2500kg respectively, meaning 1100kg and 1000kg payloads are available on 3500kg Plated GVW versions; the design GVW for both, however, is actually 4000kg. The Short Wheel Base version has a kerb weight of 1900kg, giving a potential 1600kg payload, but as the majority of the roughly 1600 Wolf 90 TUL Land Rovers were demobbed some time ago it is unlikely that UK MoD still has a requirement for a replacement vehicle in this category. Armoured and 6×6 GLV variants would have significantly higher kerb weights and payloads (taking them outside the 3500kg ordinary driving licence category) but these would have uprated chassis, suspension and braking specifications when compared to the standard MWB and LWB.

Several different seating configurations, from 2-seat to 8-seat and including swivel and jump options for rear seats, have been proposed to suit potential client requirements. The standard GS version (four forward-facing seats plus rear cargo bed) has been designed to accommodate the 2nd percentile female soldier through to the 99th percentile male soldier body sizes including body armour, ballistic helmet and belt order.

Library image from DSEI 2023 of a Babcock GLV Long Wheel Base GS prototype showing how a 1200x1000x1000 NATO pallet can fit in the rear cargo compartment [©BM]

Whether or not the Babcock GLV conversion to the Toyota 70-Series Land Cruiser is deemed suitable by UK MoD as their Military Land Rover replacement, or even if the Treasury will fund the procurement ahead of the current 2030 OSD, remains to be seen. However the Babcock team have certainly put a lot of work into the project and have remedied some of the shortcomings of the Wolf which Land Rover’s designers and engineers were never allowed (by management or customer) to address back in the 1990s.

The Babcock GLV conversion uses coil springs at the rear [©BM]

[images © Bob Morrison unless noted]

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