06/16/2008
 

Survivability, modularity, versatility

Rheinmetall unveils Gefas demonstrator vehicle in Paris

Rheinmetall Defence's Gefas Advanced Protective Vehicle System offers a compelling response to the heightened security challenges encountered by troops deployed in conflict zones around the globe.
  

Revolutionary rather than evolutionary, the Gefas represents a clear break with past conventions. Embodying the systematic implementation of an ambitious new protection concept combined with modern modular engineering, it opens a fresh chapter in the history of armoured vehicle design. At Eurosatory 2008, Rheinmetall will be presenting the Gefas demonstrator vehicle for the first time – a major milestone in the development of one the world's most innovative tactical vehicles. In the 4x4 version on display in Paris, the powerpack module is located behind the main module.

Recently conducted protection tests successfully confirmed the Gefas's extremely high level of protection; unlike any other vehicle in its class, it actually exceeds the current standards ("overmatch").
 

The concept

The history of recent military deployments reveals a broad spectrum of threats: from landmines and indirect fire weapons such as rockets, artillery and mortar rounds to suicide bombers, IEDs and snipers. Because neither the number of deployments nor the virulence of the threat shows any sign of diminishing, force protection has moved to the fore in the calculations of equipment planners. In a military context, of course, protection is not an end in itself, but must be seen in the overall context of combat effectiveness: accomplishing the mission depends on striking the right balance between survivability, mobility and lethality; it has always been this way.
 

Gefas protected vehicle system is a pioneering new tactical vehicle concept. Its extreme modularity already makes it stand out from the crowd, greatly facilitating logistics and guaranteeing maximum operational flexibility.

This is the underlying logic of the Gefas concept: soldiers in modern conflicts have to perform many different missions in a comparatively high-threat environment: if they know that they count on their equipment to protect them, they are far more likely to get out there and get the job done – quickly and efficiently. This makes force protection a fundamental prerequisite for successful outcomes, and has the added benefit of bolstering public support at home for deployments abroad.

Thanks to the groundbreaking Gefas, Rheinmetall can provide the armed forces with a wheeled, highly mobile, universally deployable vehicle in the 15 to 28-ton weight class, whose high level of protection makes it more than a match for the asymmetric threats now faced in many areas of operation.
 

The vehicle system

Highly flexible, the modular design of the Gefas means that various elements and subsystems can be mixed and matched to create a multitude of different vehicle configurations.
 

Basically speaking, each vehicle system consists of at least one protective module, a powerpack module and two axle modules. The Gefas is powered by a diesel electric drive train. A diesel engine generator system made by MTU and ESW produces electricity which is reconverted into mechanical drive power by the electrical traction motors (made by STW) in the axle modules. For a vehicle in its weight class, the Gefas features a unique level of protection. Among other things, this results from its special shape and the basic structural principle of a suspended protective cell.

  

The Gefas can be airlifted in a C-130 or A400M transport plane. At 2.55 m, it is no wider than a standard truck, making it eligible for a roadworthiness certificate.
 

Mission variants

The system's pioneering modular design enables mission-optimized configuration of the entire vehicle, including integration of the required subsystems. An extraordinarily wide array of different 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles thus becomes possible.

Its track width and high level of protection make the Gefas an ideal convoy protection or patrol vehicle. Moreover, the system's modular design and ability to carry a wide variety of mission kits enables it to play many other military roles, e.g. command and control or reconnaissance.
 

The development team

Under the leadership of Rheinmetall Defence, a number of leading European companies have joined forces to create this unique vehicle, whose development has been financed by the private sector. These companies include MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH, ESW GmbH and STW Sensor-Technik Wiedemann GmbH. IBD Ingenieurbüro Deisenroth and Timoney Technology LTD of Ireland are also involved.