Arquus is the military vehicle division of the Swedish automaker Volvo. It has recently unveiled its latest concept vehicle that has been designed for the French Army. The vehicle has been named Scarabee and is a light armor vehicle that features front and back powered-wheels that are capable of turning independently of one another, thus enabling the vehicle to move sideways like a crab.
Scarabee was revealed at the Paris Air Show earlier this month. Because of its rear wheels being capable of turning independently, it is capable of performing some really impressive maneuvers that are considered impossible for the conventional military vehicles. It can easily pull off tight turns in a confined area and can even move away from incoming enemy fire without having to expose its flanks or rear.
A company’s spokesperson said, ‘That way you can approach the enemy without either turning your back to him or being full front on, but you could also drive crab-like behind a ridge, for example, and yet still have your roof-top gun with its limited turn radius pointing at the enemy.’ Scarabee measures in at the height of six feet and a width of fifteen feet. It can house four, including the driver.
Arquus says that the body of its lightweight armor vehicle has been crafted using composite materials and has been created so that it is more resistant to gunfire, landmines, and improvised explosive devices. The vehicle can also survive a short drop, thus parachuting it to an area that is inaccessible from the ground is also an option.
Furthermore, the Scarabee is lighter as opposed to other vehicles of its category. This makes the vehicle faster, thus increasing its probability of surviving. Emmanuel Lavacher, CEO of Arquus, said, ‘We really worked on the speed because that is also a form of protection. If you put a lot of protective armor on a vehicle, it makes it very heavy, big, and therefore slow unless you give it a large, powerful engine—in which case you no longer have a small, agile military vehicle.’
The Scarabee has a top speed of 75mph and can generate 60 hp for every ton of weight. It uses a diesel engine and an electric motor; both are housed in the rear of the vehicle. The diesel engine has a range of 620 miles while the electric motor has a range of fewer than 10 miles. It comes with sliding doors on either side, thus making it quite easy to get out or get in of the vehicle in confined areas. The doors cannot be opened without a remote, thus providing a security layer for the occupants.
What do you think of this amazing concept vehicle by Volvo’s Arquus?