Babcock unveils medium wheelbase GLV at Eurosatory
Babcock has taken the wraps off the new medium wheelbase variant of its military utility platform, the General Logistics Vehicle (GLV), at Eurosatory this week.
Image courtesy Babcock
The medium wheelbase variant joins its long wheelbase sibling as the second member of the growing GLV family of vehicles, designed and delivered by Babcock.
Under the bonnet is a 2.8-litre engine achieving 200bhp and 370lb/ft of torque which, married to a six-speed, automatic gearbox with high and low range transfer provides the GLV with formidable, affordable off-road capability. With a 39-degree approach angle, 276 mm ground clearance, a wading depth up to 1.8 metres and boasting a class-leading 12.6 metre turning circle, it is deployable in all terrains across the globe.
This medium wheelbase GLV is set to attract similar levels of interest to the long wheelbase variant, unveiled at last year’s DSEI, thanks to its ability to deliver a range of roles and requirements for the military. The four individual crew seats and storage capacity for a four-person team to comfortably stow what is required for a 72-hour patrol will ensure that crew degradation is minimised over long journeys. These adaptations make it an ideal command and control vehicle or small team patrol vehicle.
The GLV family is built around the Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series platform and combines Toyota's 70-year heritage in off-road cars with Babcock’s engineering history of developing bespoke and formidable vehicles for military and security customers.
It can fulfil a multitude of tasks for the armed forces, offering a common vehicle base with variant modules that meet the needs of different missions across multiple theatres of operation. The GLV is also equipped with unique military body enhancements which put crew safety and comfort to the fore.
Chris Spicer, Managing Director of Engineering and Systems Integration within Babcock’s Land business said: “This hugely reliable GLV family provides military and security forces with a complete value for money solution for light-utility vehicles, increasing the availability of these critical assets. Babcock has a deep understanding of the armed forces through years of partnering and that is applied to our engineering so we can offer militaries the best possible vehicle for operational success. We’re very proud to present the second of our GLV family in the last nine months.”