| Condor APC | |
|---|---|
 A Condor of the Malaysian Army. | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | West Germany |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 12.4 metric tons |
| Length | 6.13 m |
| Width | 2.47 m |
| Height | 2.18 m |
| Crew | 2+12 |
|
| |
Main armament | 20 mm cannon |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mm |
| Engine |
OM906LA / 6 cylinder 170 kW diesel engine 228 hp (170 kW) |
| Suspension | torsion bar, 4x4 road wheels |
Operational range | 900 km |
| Maximum speed | 95 km/h |
The Rheinmetall Condor is a 4x4 wheeled armoured personnel carrier originally designed by Thyssen-Henschel of Germany and manufactured by Henschel Wehrtechnik GmbH. It is based on the chassis of the UNIMOG[1] and uses the same key components such as the engine, gearbox and axles. Serviceability is high and the vehicle is easy to maintain since support is readily available from civilian sources.
Design[]
The Condor was designed to provide overall protection against small arms, shrapnel and small mines. Combat with the Malaysian Army during the rescue operations following the Battle of Mogadishu highlighted its vulnerability against RPG-7 rocket rounds. One Malaysian soldier was killed when an RPG round penetrated the driver compartment of his vehicle.
The Condor is amphibious and is air-transportable in C-130 Hercules and in C-160 Transall type aircraft.
Variants[]
The Condor is available in multiple configurations, these include:
- Personnel and/or cargo carrier
- Command and control
- Reconnaissance / surveillance / observation
- Liaison
- Weapons carrier
- Light air defence
- Anti-riot
- Border control
- Logistics / recovery
- Ambulance
The Malaysian Army uses mainly the Condor primarily in its armoured personnel carrier configuration, but variants such as mortar carriers and ambulances are also in service.
Operators[]
Kuwait, 8 Condor 2
Malaysia, 457 Condor 1
Portugal, 12 Condor 1 (operated by Polícia Aérea - Portuguese Air Force Police) [1]- Thailand, 19 Condor 1
- Turkey, 25 Condor 1 (inactive being retired.)
- Uruguay, 64 Condor 1
- South Korea, unk.
References[]
See also[]
- British Saxon APC
- Brazilian EE-11 Urutu
- Finnish Sisu XA-180
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External links[]
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