Armored Cars: Streit Group Scorpion AFV

Via Streit Group.

The Scorpion AFV belongs to a new class of mine-resistant trucks that eschew a bulky layout for greater mobility. It was unveiled by Streit Group in 2015 and put on display at the Eurosatory arms show in France the following year. Its intended market are armies and security forces who need a tough off-road truck with superb protective qualities. The Scorpion is a clean sheet design that emphasizes armor and speed. Its current iteration offers at least STANAG II ballistic resistance but an upcoming variant will have STANAG IV armoring strong enough to resist heavy machine gun bullets and roadside bombs.

The Scorpion runs on a 350 horsepower Cummins diesel engine and uses automatic transmission. Its top speed reaches 110 kilometers per hour and maximum range on a full tank is 500 km. To better navigate rough terrain the Scorpion utilizes a double wishbone suspension system for its runflat tires. Weighing just 12 tons, the vehicle’s interior seats nine occupants and the driver. The cab offers four entry points while the passenger compartment is accessible via a rear swing door. It’s possible to mount a cupola over the circular roof hatch for a machine gun and observation turret. Any weapons installed on the Scorpion, however, are left to the operator.

Owing to its newness, the Scorpion doesn’t have a combat record yet but Streit Group’s worldwide logistical footprint–it has factories in several countries–could see it join ongoing conflicts in Central and North Africa soon. The ideal customer for the Scorpion are armies ill-served by MRAPs but either can’t afford or will never be allowed to acquire the Oshkosh JLTV. Streit Group are now preparing to unveil an upgraded Scorpion in 2019 with a larger engine and robust armor.

There are currently a handful of similar trucks competing with the Scorpion in today’s armored vehicle market. Slovakia’s Zetor Gerlach, for example, shares many similarities with it and so do a bunch of models from South Africa. This means customers are spoiled for choices. But Streit Group’s marketing is equally lean and savvy though and there are still huge opportunities in North and South America, two regions with strong prospects in homeland security, as well as South and Southeast Asia, where MRAPs have made few gains. Countries where Streit Group have established a reputation (Mexico, Nigeria, UAE, Ukraine, and USA) are the likeliest to adopt the Scorpion in the coming years.