After being exposed to stringent ballistic and blast tests at the CSIR’s Paardefontein test facility outside Pretoria, DCD Protected Mobility’s two-man operated Husky 2G easily met the threshold objectives set for this type of vehicle and far surpassed the blast requirements defined in STANAG 4569 — a NATO standard covering protection levels for occupants of logistic and light armoured vehicles during strikes from kinetic energy and artillery, as well as IED blasts.

Andrew Mears, general manager at DCD Protected Mobility, explains that there is a basic requirement which need to be met as well as a second higher requirement that users of the vehicle would like to see met. “It is significant that the Husky 2G actually surpassed this second requirement as well,” Mears says.

The Husky 2G Route Clearance Vehicle is in service worldwide and has collectively been subjected to more than 6 500 landmine and IED strikes in the field, with minimal operator casualties. Its ability to safely execute dangerous route clearance missions and return to base safely has attracted the hard earned loyalty and confidence of countless Husky operators.

DCD Protected Mobility invests a significant portion of its revenue into R&D to enhance the safety of vehicle operators and the survivability (reparability) of the vehicle. The Husky 2G operators’ cabin successfully withstands Level 3 Kinetic Energy and Level 5 Artillery Threats as defined in the NATO standard. At Paardefontein the Husky 2G was also successfully subjected to Level 4a and Level 4b blast tests, in which 10 kg TNT surrogate mines were placed under the wheel and under the rearmost edge of the V-hull.

An instrumented Robert Denton 50th percentile seated Hybrid III Anthropomorphic Test Device was placed inside of the Husky 2G during the tests. The Hybrid III ATD, which simulates the presence of a human operator, was fully clothed and fitted with military boots and socks. Various accelerometers, load cells and pressure sensors were installed on the Hybrid III ATD and high speed cameras were positioned inside the cab to record body movement.

Not only did the Husky 2G vehicle successfully survive the stringent tests but more significantly, the vehicle could be repaired in the field one hour after the test. This particular Husky 2G vehicle underwent three detonation tests in three weeks and the vehicle has been repaired and utilised for further R&D projects.