South African armoured-vehicle specialist SVI Engineering has whipped the wraps off the MAX 3 Six-wheeler, a Toyota Land Cruiser 79-based armoured vehicle built for numerous military and security applications. In addition, the new MAX 3 can be equipped with several weapon systems, cargo-carrying options and field-ambulance concepts. It can also be fitted with an intelligent anti-drone solution.
Anti-drone system, you ask? Indeed, the set-up employed by the MAX 3 Six-wheeler features radars to locate, identify and track incoming hostile drones. The information is relayed to the vehicle’s battle management system (BMS), which is connected to an automated grenade launcher. The BMS then determines the trajectory of and the distance to the drone and intercepts and disables it via close-proximity grenade explosions.
So, how is a Land Cruiser 79 converted to a MAX 3 Six-wheeler? Well, for starters, the conversion process comprises removing the soft-skin body of the donor bakkie and replacing it with an in-house-designed hull made from armoured steel. The EN1063 BR6 level of protection protects the occupants against assault rifles and anti-personnel grenades. BR7 protection is also available.
In addition, the MAX 3 gains wheels and tyres with improved load ratings and an upgraded suspension set-up (the armoured vehicle weighs 5 500 kg). An additional rear anti-roll bar has also been fitted, as have disc brakes. The donor vehicle’s 4.5-litre turbocharged V8 engine remains.
