The Blackadder’s Triumphant Return

31 Replies to “The Blackadder’s Triumphant Return”

1. From the article:

   The vehicle is “not your everyday Prius”, according to Gren Paull, chief operating officer of Fering Technologies. It can be equipped with 12.7mm machine guns, 40mm automatic grenade launchers, and a host of other weaponry.

   Man, we never get the good vehicles in Canada.

   1. It can be equipped with 12.7mm machine guns, 40mm automatic grenade launchers, and a host of other weaponry.
      Uh…. hey Gren. You can put that shit on a Prius. In fact doing so would be an improvement in the stealth bit.
      (FYI it’s apparently against the law to mount a flamethrower on a vehicle in the state of Virginia so check your local ordnance ordinance.)

      1. My Somali friend say he can hook you up with a Toyota technical with a Soviet 23 mm anti aircraft gun, interested? Special price for you.

         1. See? Already the offerings are improved! A renowned HiLux. I’m in the market for one of those, but that “exhaust kit” is what has really peaked my interest! Any chance of an improvement on that branding? Perhaps a Magnaflow or say… perhaps a Bushmaster M242… available? Perhaps? Asking for a friend of course.

2. L – Given the lack of armour, the crew would be vulnerable to an array of flesh seeking arrows, slingshots and
   catapults. Though, it may be quiet enough to be suitable for hunting caribou north of 60, with arctic camo.

   In a northern country with winter weather e.i. NATO E.U. Finland, Norway, Sweden et al, that 50 mile battery range would be reduced. Laplanders could use it for herding reindeer, which need protection from wolves.

   1. Yeah … minor design flaw … “we had to lighten the vehicle so it’s made of all fiberglass with NO roof or sides. Roadside IED’s ? Don’t worry … it sneaks up on them

3. That is definitely a cunning plan.

   1. You tell em Baldrick.

4. Because it is electric, it is invisible to drones?

   Asking for a soldier.

5. 4,350 mile range? Really? Using multi-fuels and magic beans?

   1. It can go according to the article 50 miles on batteries, the remaining 4300 miles on gas. Not sure if that’s accurate either, what size tank gives them over 4K miles?

      1. ” Not sure if that’s accurate either, what size tank gives them over 4K miles?”

         Towing a fuel trailer.

   2. Optional solar panels. Magic beans for when it’s dark out.
      Or 300 gallons of diesel.

   3. 4300 miles by C-17 Globemaster III
      50 miles by batteries…….

6. So, the vehicle has no heat signature, but what about the soldiers in the vehicle?

   1. Typically, Special Forces are more intelligent than average soldiers so the users of this vehicle will be able to sign their names.

7. “He added: “Electricity is an incredible source of propulsion. It’s why submarines were diesel-electric for years. ”

   Ever tried to use a combustion engine under water on a limited supply of oxygen ?

   1. The Germans did with their U-Boat Schnorkel, letting subs run diesels submerged shallowly to charge their batteries. But they hunted using electric power.

      mhb23re

      1. Running their diesels under water left them blind due to the noise the engines produced. The engine’s vented exhaust also made them easy targets during daylight hours.

   2. Diesel-Electric.

      No diesel NO electric.

8. I guess putting armour on the vehicle may be too taxing on the batteries?

   1. Hybrid powertrain is a good thing. The ability to run quietly, or to charge and power other systems, on battery alone is great.

      Now, it needs an integrated drone defense turret with radar.

9. ““I would be pretty confident that it is just not at all a starter in terms of maintaining the level of battleground capability that we have now.”

   It’s easy for you to say – you’re retired, Colonel Kemp. I’m betting that dissent will be scarce to non-existent among active service Generals.

10. If you like quiet, you can muffle a vehicle to be pretty quiet. If you want electric you have at least 1,000 pounds of batteries that you are carrying instead of fuel, food, and ammunition. As to quit, you are breaking twigs and moving gravel. A section of infantry can sound like a freight train at 3 in the morning.

11. Wasn’t back in the ’70s that Canada went with a sort of jeep with a recoilless rifle mounted on it, as our answer to armoured artillery? …or something. I never figured out what the crew was supposed to do for protection from Winter weather.
    https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/60d3c6d0e106af90561564f7/66ad01ed82ce684cfc0d05a3_610027e349dc7f0881bbadf4_M38A1-1-qtr-ton-Jeep-with-M40-Recoilless-Rifle–NBMHM–5-.jpeg

    1. The recoilless rifles of the 1950s were replaced by Carl Gustavs in the 1970s and ’80s particularly for their squad support and anti-armour roles. It’s a man-portable weapon unlike the old 106 mm recoilless rifles.

12. Easily discernible by the enemy when it catches fire.

13. The Rat Patrol is back?

    https://youtu.be/0ZcbifYqpGc?si=AaJZmVYpp5nNKDNk

    1. My first vehicle was a ’64 IH Scout. I used to like to play Rat Patrol with it. Had a nearby railroad crossing that was elevated across a rural road to keep the rail bed flat. The crossing was just a big ol’ hump in the road, perhaps the world’s largest speed bump. Most people crossed at 5 mph or less.

       The trick was not to slow to a crawl like everyone else did but speed up. If you hit the upslope at the right speed (40 mph), you’d sail across the tracks without touching them and land at the right angle on the downslope to just keep on going at speed.

       Fun times!

14. Towing a diesel generator for recharge 🙂 I do agree the silence is a useful quality.

15. And it continues.