Eurosatory 2022: Plasan unveils Wilder lightweight armoured vehicle

Plasan‘s Wilder has been developed to offer mobility and survivability. It is seen here fitted with Rafael‘s Samson Mini RWS. (Plasan)

Israel's Plasan has developed a new lightweight armoured vehicle, showing it for the first time at Eurosatory 2022 in Paris.

Speaking to Janes, Nir Kahn, Plasan's director of design, said that its Wilder vehicle is a clean sheet design, the development of which was driven by the recognition that there is a gap in the market for a platform that combines the protection levels required on the modern battlefield with a high level of mobility and utility.

Kahn said the design of the vehicle started with considerations of its “packaging”, with the requirement to minimise weight, increase protection, and maximise internal space. Wilder has a monocoque chassis with front and rear subframes and features Plasan's advanced composite armour, which brings NATO STANAG 4569 Level II protection. Kahn describes the armour as a proven solution and noted that it is a structural component of the design. He highlighted that at 4.39 m long and 1.934 m wide the vehicle is no larger than the short wheelbase Jeep Wrangler.

Wilder is configured to carry four occupants and their equipment, with the driver in a centre-steering position, and two persons side-by-side in the second row – one of whom would typically be the commander – and a fourth occupant in a central position in the third row, who would control a remote weapon station (RWS), if fitted. The vehicle features a flatbed area in the rear that can fit a standard NATO pallet, and which could accommodate a range of payloads and systems in addition to cargo, explained Kahn.