WorldWide WCE has recently joined the Belgian “Light Troop Transport Vehicle” (LTTV) programme. This programme aims to renew part of the vehicles of the Belgian SO Regt de la Composante Terre.
For context, on 28 March 2018, British company Jankel won a €67 million contract for the production of 199 LTTV vehicles and 175 mission kits. These vehicles, intended for special forces, will be delivered between 2019 and 2021 and will replace a fleet of Unimog trucks in service since the 1990s.
WorldWide WCE, a specialist in communication in harsh environments, won on January 2 a purchase order valued at 1 million euros to equip all LTTVs with its Elips digital intercom. This intercom was already selected in 2016 for the retrofit of the Composante Terre Dingo 2 MPPVs. In addition, the Elips is the intercom chosen to equip the Jaguar and Griffon vehicles of the Scorpion and CaMo programs.
On the same day, the British subsidiary of the French group Hutchinson, Hutchinson Defence and Mobility, won a contract for the delivery of 1,000 R20 Run-Flat systems. Once fitted to the LTTV's tyres, these rubber elements will enable the vehicle to cover a distance of 100 km on a flat tyre, on any type of terrain.
These two contracts follow a €7 million order awarded in early December to British company Rygor Commercials for the delivery of 60 Unimog 5000s, the chassis selected for the LTTV programme. The U5000 model was not chosen at random, as it corresponds to the one used to develop the Dingo 2 MPPV, in service since 2006 on the Terre component. This rationalisation of the chassis will greatly facilitate the MCO of the two fleets, generating substantial savings for the Belgian Defence.
After some delay, the acquisition of the onboard armament for the LTTVs is expected to be completed this year. A contract valued at 4 million euros and for which FN Herstal is logically positioned in first place.
Finally, there remains the thorny issue of armour plating, a source of concern for the operatives involved. According to one source among them, the LTTV, being too “light”, would not be adapted to respond effectively to the operating methods employed by terrorist groups in the Sahel. The emergence of heavier and more sophisticated weapons, as well as the proliferation of IEDs, make the use of this type of platform particularly dangerous in this region.
Light Transport Vehicles