Condor (APC)

The Condor is a 4×4 wheeled armoured personnel carrier originally designed by Thyssen-Henschel of Germany and manufactured by Henschel Wehrtechnik GmbH.[1] The first prototype was completed in 1978. The Condor was designed as a successor to its UR-416 APC. The upgraded Condor 2 was first sold in 2004. Today, the Condor is considered a legacy product of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles, part of Rheinmetall's Vehicle Systems Division.[2] The nearest vehicle to the Condor in RMMV's current product range is the Survivor R.

Condor APC
A Condor of the Malaysian Army.
TypeArmoured personnel carrier
Place of originGermany
Service history
WarsKurdish-Turkish conflict
Somali Civil War
Specifications
Mass12.4 metric tons[1]
Length6.13 m[1]
Width2.47 m[1]
Height2.18 m[1]
Crew2+12
Main
armament
20 mm cannon
Secondary
armament
7.62 mm
EngineMercedes Benz OM352A / 6 cylinder
diesel engine[1]
168 hp (125 kW)
SuspensionPortal axle with coil spring and shock-absorbers[1]
Operational
range
900 km[1]
Maximum speed 95 km/h[1]

Design

The Condor is designed primarily as an APC but it can also adopted for a variety of other roles including anti-tank, cargo carrier, command vehicle, ambulance, fitters' vehicle and reconnaissance vehicle. The Condor is based on the automotives of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog, the Condor 2 based on the Unimog U5000. The hull of the Condor is made of all-welded armoured steel protecting the crew from 7.62 mm armour-piercing (AP) rounds and 5.56 mm ball-type rounds, shell splinters and anti-personnel mines. The Condor is fully amphibious, propelled in the water by a propeller mounted under the rear of the hull. It is air-transportable in C-130 Hercules and in C-160 Transall type aircraft.[2][1]

In 2016, Deftech showed a working upgraded Condor prototype at the DSA 2016 convention.[3] A Condor prototype converted to serve as a logistics transport vehicle was unveiled at the DSA 2018 convention.[4]

Operators
Uruguayan Condor in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, deployed as part of MONUSCO.
  • : Argentina is estimated to operate 20 Condor.[2]
  • : Kuwait's National Guard received 8 Condor 2 in 2010.[2]
  • : Malaysia ordered 460 Condor APCs in late 1981, with the last being delivered in March 1984.[2]
  • : Portugal has 12 Condor;[2] these are operated by the Polícia Aérea of the Portuguese Air Force.
  • : South Korea, 2 Condor 1 (used in general hospital)
  • : Thailand received 18 Condor in 1995,[2] these are operated by the Royal Thai Air Force)
  • : Turkey has 25 Condor (inactive; currently being retired).
  • : Uruguay has 44 Condor.[2]

See also

References
  1. "Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Condor". militaryfactory.com. Archived from the original on 2017-06-12. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  2. "Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Condor APC". IHS Jane's Christopher F Foss. 2016-12-22. Retrieved 2017-05-26.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-06-02. Retrieved 2017-06-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-04-18. Retrieved 2018-04-18.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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