The Airborne Network

utrinque paratus

SUPACAT/DML MWMIK by Pat Conn

Sadly for the older generations of Airborne Warriors, significant improvements in the fighting capabilities of our current Parachute Regiment soldiers slip in, and often go unnoticed. As the `techie' world gets a grip on the soldiers weapons and equipment, so acronyms proliferate, and baffle those of us who grew up in the world of the SLR, Bren /GPMG and Vickers MMG.

Often, thanks to collective Airborne outrage, weapon deficiencies have been blasted in our valiant Press and we have forced to come to terms with such things as SA80 and LSW and GPMG (SF) but have been totally floored when they were referred to as the L-85A1, L-86A1 and L7 respectively. When our fighting troops get upgraded weapons such as the L-85A2, L-86A2, L-110 LMG and L-17A2 40mm UGL, do we older brethren really know what they are and what improvements have been made? I doubt it.

Television and video clips, particularly of 16 Air Assault Brigade in Afghanistan have made us aware that some of the Land Rovers in our battalions had sprouted protuberances of various calibres and are now referred to by the acronym WMIK (Weapons Mounted Installation Kit) pronounced as far as I know as `wimiks'. The favourite weapons mountings being the .50 MG, the 40mmGrenade Machine Gun (to use US terminology GMG) and the GPMG. Naturally I am sure that our soldiers will use their `airborne initiative' and it will become a useful platform for other systems such as the LFATGWS (Javelin anti-tank missile to you and me) and other systems yet to be announced.

So what is SUPACAT/DML MWMIK as this article is titled? Fortunately Page 4 of Pegasus (Summer 2007) gives us a clue and June 2007 The Mail article on the `Mad Max' vehicle gave it some publicity. Quite simply the Land Rover WMIKS are tired, have had a tough life in Afghanistan and have seen better days. Enter the `beast' which has been described by some as “a Land Rover on steroids”!

THE VEHICLE - MWMIK

I do not know, but I expect the new acronym could stand for `modified wimik’ or something similar, but more likely Mobility Weapons Mounted Installation Kit. It has been designed by SUPACAT in Honiton and manufactured by DML at their Plymouth factory. The UOR calls for 130 vehicles, some will possibly go to `Mobility Troop’ or perhaps to the SFSG while others expect to go to the `airborne’ fraternity. The vehicle is a derivative from the original HMT 400 concept of HMT Vehicles Ltd in Bristol. This latter company was acquired by Lockheed Martin UK and it has been licensed for production to SUPACAT and DML. Lockheed Martin hope to interest the US Marine corps in the vehicle as well.

The Supacat!

The technical specifications are here in pdf for those who are interested, but suffice to say that with a chassis and wheel-base looking closer to a truck, the SUPACAT/DML MWMIK has better armour, off-road mobility and load-carrying ability than the venerable Land Rover 110. It can carry combinations of M2 .50 cal machine guns, MK-19 or HK GMG 40mm grenade launchers, GPMGs and Javelin anti-tank missiles. In addition, smoke grenade launchers adorn the front and rear of the `beast' which can be fired to create a smoke screen. For rapid deployment by air, the vehicle can be transported in RAF Chinooks and C130 Hercules aircraft.

In summary, the MWMIKs are essentially HMT 400s with the necessary rollbars and pintle-mounts for various machine guns and grenade launchers pre-installed right off the production line. There is a particular need for the MWMIK's improved armour and off-road capability in Afghanistan, where the lightly-armoured, thin-wheeled Land Rover WMIKs have struggled on the rough ground found in much of the country. It is also claimed that the MWMIKwill offer greater protection from IEDs. Whilst this may be true with regards to mines exploded underneath the vehicle, the MWMIK's occupants are still vulnerable to blast damage from roadside bombs.

CONCLUSION

The more venerable airborne warriors of the 1950's will recall the annoying `buzz' of the Austin-Champs of 16 Independent Parachute Brigade zooming around Aldershot. Perhaps soon Colchester will echo to the roar of this new beast of 16 Air Assault Brigade, the SUPACAT/DML MWMIK, a potent monster indeed.

11th September 2007

The Pre-Production Model

....will inherit similar weaponry of this....

to become something like this....

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