QinetiQ, teamed with specialist vehicle contractor MacNeillie & Son to offer a vehicle based on MacNeillie’s Military Armored carrier System (MACS) design.
MacNeillie developed the MACS to be adaptable for various military applications weighing 9.5 to 14 tons. The vehicle design started from a ‘clean sheet’ and matured into a prototype within a few months. The vehicle is based on a Mercedes-Benz Unimog commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) high mobility 4×4 powertrain, running gear and components. The basic design uses monocoque armored body shell made of high grade steel, which can be upgraded to accommodate higher protection levels, including appliqué armor, v-shaped hull and wheel arches, to mitigate IED threats. Despite the weight increase derived by the higher protection level, the basic vehicle’s width is maintained within the track, to allow stand-off protection (such as slat armor) to be carried without excessive overhang.
The MACS measurements are 5.773 meters in length, 2.36 m width. Its height is 2.445 m. The gross weight can be constrained for air transport. The vehicle’s interior is designed to accommodate seven fully equipped troops, a commander and driver. The hull has five access points, including driver and commander’s side doors, a side access door with an armored window located on each side and two access doors at the rear. The vehicle is equipped with hydraulically powered air conditioning system, enabling full power operation even when the engine runs on idle. The vehicle will be capable of carrying payload of 2,500 – 3,000 kg for the base vehicle at 10 tons gross vehicle weight (GVW), or 5,000 – 6,000 for the 14 ton GVW variant.
