This article came across the Defense News site and it looks like the military is getting smarter about vehicle procurement putting dollars to buy these versatile vehicles.
I could not find a picture on thew web about the newest vehicle in the pipeline, called the Maintenance and Cargo Hauler MACH-2/MACH 2XL manufactured by John Deere, however the picture at above is the current John Deere Gator designated as the M-Gator A1 which has performed well overseas carrying cargo up mountains where the air is too thin for helicopters to fly with substantial loads.
The M-Gator A1 has a 208 HP Diesel engine that can transport 1650 lbs of gear. The rack in front is actually designated as a litter rack to carry wounded soldiers out, but could easily be used for about anything.
I have many hours in a John Deere commercial Gator and can attest to the reliability and utility of these vehicles. Not the answer to every survivalist's needs, but does offer a unique capability.
The Defense News article:
Small, rugged multi-purpose vehicles at the AUSA show are equipped with new features but carry a familiar leaping-deer logo.
Visitors to the John Deere pavilion at the exhibition hall might expect to see big green machines that are more at home on the farm than on the battlefield.
What you see instead are three tan vehicles shorter than an F-150 pickup that can haul cargo, carry soldiers and maneuver in austere environments.
“People think of John Deere as the yellow and green stuff,” said Todd Halstead, manager of the Military Utility Business for John Deere. “We are definitely more than just the yellow and green stuff.”
The newest of the vehicles is a Maintenance and Cargo Hauler MACH-2/MACH 2XL , developed in association with International Automated Systems, that can be transported by the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.
That capability is a new innovation in which the bars over the passenger area reconfigure to sit within that space to keep the vehicle low profile at 60 inches high.
The vehicle’s long- and short-bed variations can be configured variously according to the Army’s needs, Halstead said. For example, soldiers have expressed an interest in a fire suppression capability, he said.
The MACH 2/2XL weight is about 2,200 pounds, and payload capacity is nearly 1,200 pounds. Cargo bed capacity is nearly 770 pounds.
To make the vehicle more versatile for mission requirements, an all-terrain trailer can expand cargo capacity, using a trailer tongue that swivels 360 degrees to deal with rugged terrain and prevent problems with decoupling. Up to four trailers can be hauled behind one of the vehicles.
The original MACH is a program of record used by the U.S. Army now, Halstead said, and the MACH 2/2XL are available for consideration by the Army.
Urban Man........
