At the 2010 Eurosatory Renault Trucks Defense introduced the refined ‘Sherpa Light’ family of tactical vehicles, featuring the 13.3 ton, 4×4 transport vehicle designed specifically to support special missions. Carrying five soldiers and up to 2.6 tons of cargo, the new Sherpa provides high mobility light forces, traversing all types of terrain with sufficient payload capacity to support paratroops, marines and light infantry on extended missions. The vehicle is transportable by C-130 and A400M transport aircrafts. The platform is based on the Sherpa 2 introduced two years ago at Eurosatory 2008.
The basic configuration has windshield and belly protection. up-armored versions are also available offering ballistic and mine protection to meet various threat levels. The vehicle’s maximum gross weight is 13.6 tons. It comes in different wheel base versions, from 3.55 to 4.1 meters. Ground clearance is 0.60 m’. Sherpa Light has a Renault MD-5 Euro V compliant four cylinder diesel engine, delivering maximum power of 215 Hp and 800 Nm torque at 1,200 – 1,700 rpm, enabling the vehicle a maximum speed of 120 km/h. The 165 liter fuel tank enables an autonomous cruising range of 1,000 km. The Sherpa can cross a trench 0.6 meter wide and traverse a vertical step of 0.50 meter high, and safely travel on a 60% slope and 40% side slop. Sherpa Light is also offered in four different armored configurations – the ‘High Intensity’ version, offering ballistic, mine and IED protection, is capable of carrying five soldiers or 1.5 ton payload, the Sherpa Light APC carrying 10 soldiers and the ‘Station Wagon’ – both are uprated, up-armored versions designed for maximum GWV of up to 15.9 tons, carrying up to 2.35 tons of payload.
