GDR 99 - Land Systems

Swedish Workhorse


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Top: The Volvo FL10 4x4, in use with the Swedish Army.

Manufactured to withstand the rugged conditions of the Swedish climate, Volvo trucks are produced to individual customer requirements and backed up by production and servicing facilities on a global scale.

Volvo is one of the world's largest producers of heavy-duty trucks and is renowned for making high quality products designed for high efficiency and reliability. Even in standard form, the production models are designed to withstand the rigours of Sweden's rough roads and cold temperatures.

This emphasis on durability has been a feature of Volvo products ever since the company started operating in 1927. Volvo developed a driven front axle as early as 1937, heralding the birth of Volvo all-wheel drive (AWD). The first Volvo all -wheel drive (AWD) truck was introduced in 1939 in the Swedish army. Since then Volvo has produced more than 30,000 AWD vehicles, from the smallest in today's range, the workhorse in the three to five tonne payload model with a six-litre turbocharged diesel engine, to heavy-duty, high technology battle-tank transporters with a 16-litre turbocharged diesel engine and a gross combination weight of 110 tonnes.

Major exports
Today, 19 out of 20 Volvo trucks for the civilian market are sold outside Sweden. But they are all designed to withstand tough Swedish transport conditions with gross combination weights of up to 60 tonnes, even when spending their lives working with the legal gross combination weight of 44 tonnes on European highways.

The Volvo Group is an international corporation with over 70,000 employees and production facilities in more than 20 countries. Service is also provided on an equally global scale. In Europe there are more than 1,000 service workshops, all equipped with experienced personnel, special tools, up-to-date service literature and comprehensive parts stock. This means local military units can reduce their own in-house servicing, without jeopardising truck availability and uptime.

Civilian and military production


Volvo's flexible production system mean that vehicles for military applications can be accomodated without a significant cost increase

The annual Volvo production of heavy-duty civilian trucks exceeded 80,000 units in 1998, giving Volvo all the benefits of a large-scale production operation. The company offers a large range of customer-specific options tailored to suit the different regulations of each specific country, different climatic conditions etc., so specialist production for military applications can be accommodated without a significant increase in cost. The Volvo plant in Irvine, Scotland, is one of the facilities making military vehicles.

Volvo doesn't leave the customer with just the truck. Basic driver and mechanic training is normally carried out at the customer's site. In Gothenburg (Sweden) and in Dubai (UAE), Volvo has premises for courses that require special resources. At present there are also 19 authorised Volvo truck training centres around the world that can be used for training activities.

The governmental sales operations section handles contacts with military authorities world-wide and enjoys comprehensive back-up from Volvo expertise, not least engineering and design specialists, traffic planning experts and technicians.

The Volvo FL6 4x4 military version is available in three classes, with three, four or five tonnes net payload. It is also available in a special desert version. The FL6 4x4 is a very versatile medium-duty truck built for tough on- and off-road transport as a troop and cargo transporter, water or fuel distribution unit, ambulance, mobile communications centre, special operations, etc. Engine outputs: 180 to 250 Hp.


The FL6 4x4, a tough medium-duty off-road truck

The Volvo FL10 4x4, 6x6 or 8x4 is a heavy-duty truck with a gross vehicle weight of up to 35 tonnes. To meet specific military demands, Volvo offers the FL10 in most applications. The chassis has parallel side members made of pressed U-sections, with flat tops, that simplifies installation of most superstructures required. Engine outputs: from 285-320 Hp.

The Volvo FL12 6x6 is tailor-made as a tank transporter. The customer has a choice of the Volvo Powertronic gearbox or an automatic five- or six-speed transmission. In order to utilise the best performance and achieve maximum driveability, the Powertronic can also be equipped with an integrated primary retarder. This gives very high braking power, not only at high speed. Easy tank loading/unloading is done by using two 20 tonne winches that can be manoeuvred separately and at different speeds. Engine outputs: from 340 to 420 Hp. The Volvo FL12 8x8 is a high mobility, multipurpose vehicle with independent suspension on all axles. The wheel travel is not less than 350mm and the chassis is torsionally very rigid. Easy load handling with multilift equipment from Partec Cargotec Limited, UK.


Link: www.truck.volvo.se

The FL12 8x8 has a Volvo D12A, six-cylinder diesel engine with a peak torque of 1850 Nm at 1100-1300 rpm and 309 kW (420 Hp). The Volvo drivetrain with fully automatic gearbox, the VT1906PT (Powertronic), in combination with the independent suspension provides a perfect match of heavy components. The Volvo FH16 6x6 is the Volvo heavy tank transporter with a Volvo D16, 16-litre, in-line electrically-controlled diesel engine with an output of 520 Hp at 1800 RPM. Equipped with a Volvo EPG engine brake of 374 BHP at 2200 RPM. It has a gross combination weight of 110 tonnes.

New generation
The new generation of Volvo trucks, the Volvo FM will soon be on the market in military versions. With the FM, Volvo launches a range of drivelines with a number of interesting features all designed to ensure low running costs and high productivity. The power comes from a choice of three turbocharged, intercooled six-cylinder diesel engines with displacements of seven, 10 and 12 litres respectively.