Roland Land Systems Defender
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| Roland Land Systems Defender | |
|---|---|
 An Shenandoahan Army National Guard RLS Defender being operated by the 4th Cavalry Battalion, 2nd Brigade during training exercises outside of Morgantown. | |
| Type | Armored car |
| Place of origin |  Shenandoah |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1962 |
| Manufacturer | Roland Land Systems |
| Unit cost | S24,500 (1965) |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Defender 7.37 tonnes (8.12 short tons; 7.25 long tons) Defender II and IIA: 9.8 tonnes (10.8 short tons; 9.6 long tons) Defender ENL: 12.73 tonnes (14.03 short tons; 12.53 long tons) |
| Length | Defender, Defender II and IIA: 18 ft 8 in (5.69 m) Defender ENL: 20 ft 1 in (6.12 m) |
| Width | Defender, Defender II and IIA: 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) Defender ENL: 8 ft 0 in (2.43 m) |
| Height | Defender, Defender II and IIA: 7 ft 10 in ( 2.4 m) Defender ENL: 8 ft 2 in (2.5 m) |
| Crew | 3 (commander, gunner, driver) + 9 passengers (except Defender II) |
Main armament | Various weapon systems including machine guns or automatic cannon |
Secondary armament | 2x 6x 40mm smoke grenade launchers |
| Engine | Hurricane Motors LVE-3 8.9L diesel turbo charged engine 350 hp |
| Ground clearance | 14.9 in (0.38 m) |
| Fuel capacity | 80 gallons |
Operational range | 400 miles (644 km) |
| Speed | 68 mph (100 km/h) |
The Roland Land Systems Defender is an armored car in use by the Shenandoahan National Guard. It is utilized in a variety of roles, including as an internal security vehicle, command vehicle, ambulance, reconnaissance vehicle and fire support vehicle. It was designed by Roland Land Systems in 1962, and has been in production since that time. The Defender has undergone several updates and upgrades since its introduction. The Roland Land Systems Defender is known under several designation in service with the Shenandoahan military.
The Defender served as the basis for the 6x6 Roland Land Systems Guardian infantry fighting vehicle which also currently in service with the Shenandoahan Army National Guard.
Design
The RLS Defender is equipped with four-wheel drive capability, and utilizes the same axel system as the Albertson Motors M112 Tactical Truck series 2½-ton 6×6 cargo trucks also in sue by the Shenandoahan National Guard. Its 5-speed manual transmission and four wheel drive capability allows it to traverse relatively rough terrain. Originally, the vehicle was powered by a gasoline fueled 360-cubic-inch Albertson Motors 361 V8 producing 210 hp (156 kW) at 4,000 rpm. However, this engine was replaced with a Hurricane Motors CTA 8.3 diesel turbo charged engine developing 260 horsepower in both the Defender II and Defender ENL, and upgraded again with the Defender IIA to a Hurricane Motors LVE-3 8.9L diesel turbo charged engine
The Defender is an amphibious vehicle, able to achieve a speed of 3 mph while fording, with a maximum road speed of 68 mph.
The Defender's high hardness alloy steel armor allows it to withstand attacks from rounds up to .30 caliber. Partly because of its armor, the vehicle has an unloaded mass of over 7 tons, particularly heavy for the vehicles intended role. However, the armor provides the monocoque structural framework, and is therefore, in general, lighter than a soft vehicle to which armor has been added, and the angled armor also helps protect explosions from mines or another hazards. As a result of the high weight of the vehicle, a common problem is rear axle failure caused by the extreme weight. This issue was largely corrected with the improved Defender II, which used heavier axles and modified suspension units to counteract the weight of the vehicle.
Armorment for the Defender various upon its mission and role, and was offered with a variety of different turret configurations. Usual armaments included a variety of machine guns such as the M-3 Machine Gun General-purpose machine gun, the Blitz & Keckler M-4 13.2x92 mm machine gun, and the Lumenic M-2 automatic grenade launcher. In addition, though somewhat uncommon, early examples of the Defender were seen equipped with the .270 Grady M-2 Machine Gun. Different turret configurations could allow single or double mounting of various weapons, or different types of weapons simultaneously. Another turret options allowed the Defender to mount a single 20 mm automatic cannon, such as the Reich Ausrüstung Gesellschaft Mk 66.
Open-topped version of the Defender featured a central parapet and allowed for a total of five machine gun mounts could also be fitted, configured so that there are two weapons in front, one in the rear, and one folding pintle point on each side capable of mounting a GPMG.
Operational history
Variants
Defender
Original version of the Defender, which entered service in 1962. All Defenders in service with the Shenandoahan military have either been retired or updated to the Defender II or IIA packages.
Defender ENL
The Defender ENL was essentially an enlarged version of the Defender and utilized many components of the National Guard's 5-ton trucks. The Albertson Motors 361 V8 gasoline engine was replaced by a Hurricane Motors CTA 8.3 diesel turbo charged engine developing 260 horsepower. In addition, the manual turret drives were replaced with electric drives, though this upgrade would eventually be preformed on all models of the Defender. The Defender ENL also served as the basis for the Shenandoahan Army National Guard's M704 self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle, which is equipped with a single Karlsbranchen Flugzeugfaust 81 surface to air missile system.
Defender II
The Defender II featured several of the upgrades made to the Defender ENL, but retained the same dimensions as the original Defender. In addition, the vehicle was equipped with heavier axles and modified suspension units to alleviate the issues noted on the first Defender model; namely the rear axle failures caused by the extreme weight. In addition, these improvements allowed the Defender II to carry heavier weapons, such as large smoothbore guns for fire support and anti-tank purposes. However, these improvements reduced the passenger capacity from 9 passengers to only 5 passengers.
Defender IIA
Most recent update to the Defender series, the Defender IIA features a new Hurricane Motors LVE-3 8.9L diesel turbo charged engine developing 350 horsepower. In addition, the vehicles design was altered to offer more protection against mines and IEDs threats. In addition, the internal layout of the vehicle is also modified to offer more internal space, restoring the original Defender's passenger capacity of nine.
Guardian
The Roland Land Systems Guardian is an infantry fighting vehicle currently in service with the Shenandoahan Army National Guard. The design originated with the Defender ENL.
Operators
- Shenandoah
- Shenandoahan National Guard - Versions of the Roland Land Systems Defender are in service with all three branches of the Shenandoahan National Guard. Below is a list of vehicles, which variant of Defender they are, and their Shenandoahan designation.
| Designation | Vehicle type | Typical armorment |
|---|---|---|
| M121 Command Vehicle | Defender IIA cupola | Single pintle mount for machine gun |
| M221 Mortar Carrier | Defender IIA large opening | 60 mm mortar, mounting point for two machine guns |
| M506 Reconnaissance Vehicle | Defender IIA turreted | Single pintle mount for machine gun |
| M704 Antiaircraft Vehicle | Defender ENL hatch | Single launcher for the Karlsbranchen Flugzeugfaust 81 surface to air missile system. |
| M921 Gun Truck | Defender IIA large opening | Attachments for up to five machine guns of various types |
| M931 Light Fire Support Vehicle | Defender IIA turreted | 20 mm Reich Ausrüstung Gesellschaft Mk 66 and coaxial machine gun. |
| M933 Heavy Fire Support Vehicle | Defender II turreted | 90 mm cannon and coaxial machine gun |