Desert Patrol Vehicle
Encyclopedia
The Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV), formerly called the Fast Attack Vehicle (FAV), is a high-speed, lightly armored sandrail
-like vehicle first used in combat during the Gulf War
in 1991. Due to their dash speed and off-road
mobility, the DPVs were used extensively during Operation Desert Storm. The first U.S. forces to enter Kuwait City
were United States Navy SEALs
in DPVs.
engine, making it capable of accelerating from 0 to 30 mph (0–50 km/h) in only four seconds able to travel at speeds of up to 80 mph (130 km/h). With its standard 21 gallon (79.5 litre fuel tank), the DPV has a range of about 210 miles (338 km). An optional fuel bladder can extend the range to over 1,000 miles (1,610 km). Payload capacity is 1500 lb (680 kg).
's High Technology Light Division (9th Infantry Division). The HTLD was given carte blanche to develop doctrine, decide force structure, and design equipment by then Army Chief of Staff Edward C. Meyer
. One of the pieces of equipment created was the Fast Attack Vehicle. Chenowth delivered 120 FAVs to the Army in 1982. HTTB (High Technology Test Bed) in the units in the 9th Infantry were first to deploy these vehicles. Along with light off-road motorcycles, the FAV was intended to provide a highly mobile component to the mostly foot infantry
unit.
Eventually, the FAVs were replaced by Humvees in general military use, which did not provide nearly the speed nor extreme off-road capabilities of the FAVs. FAVs were transferred to special forces use where it has been largely replaced by the Light Strike Vehicle
.
modified to carry weapons such as TOW missiles
and recoilless rifle
s. The recoilless rifles still had enough recoil to flip the lightweight dune buggies and were abandoned. The TOW missiles had much greater success, but they violated existing Army TOW doctrine. The Army had determined that a TOW needed a 3 man team to operate it. The DPVs could only carry a two man crew and they seemed perfectly capable of operating the TOW, but this would have meant revising Army doctrine and possibly changing TOW deployment throughout the Army. Fort Benning
decided to offer a "superior" DPV design that allowed a third crewman. This design was rejected by the HTLD team and was never produced.
The basic weapons on a DPV consist of a heavy .50 caliber
M2 Browning machine gun, two lighter 7.62x51 mm M60 machine gun
s, and two M136 AT4
anti-armor weapons. In some cases, the driver's M60 or the gunner's M2 is replaced with a 40 mm
Mk 19 grenade launcher
. Other light machine gun
s such as the M240 machine gun or 5.56x45 mm
M249 SAW
can also be mounted.
(IFAV) a version of the Mercedes-Benz MB 290 GD 1.5 ton truck
.
Sandrail
A sandrail, or sand rail, or sandcar, or "rail" is a lightweight motor vehicle specifically built for traveling across a wide variety of off-road terrain. Sandrails are popularly operated on actual sand dunes, such as Glamis, Pismo and Rasor in California, St...
-like vehicle first used in combat during the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
in 1991. Due to their dash speed and off-road
Off-roading
Off-roading is a term for driving a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain.-Off-road vehicle:...
mobility, the DPVs were used extensively during Operation Desert Storm. The first U.S. forces to enter Kuwait City
Kuwait City
-Suburbs:Although the districts below are not usually recognized as suburbs, the following is a list of a few areas surrounding Kuwait city:Al-Salam ""السلام"" -Economy:...
were United States Navy SEALs
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
in DPVs.
Performance
The DPV was built by Chenowth Racing Products, Inc. It is powered by a 200 hp VolkswagenVolkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
engine, making it capable of accelerating from 0 to 30 mph (0–50 km/h) in only four seconds able to travel at speeds of up to 80 mph (130 km/h). With its standard 21 gallon (79.5 litre fuel tank), the DPV has a range of about 210 miles (338 km). An optional fuel bladder can extend the range to over 1,000 miles (1,610 km). Payload capacity is 1500 lb (680 kg).
History
The DPV is a variant of the Fast Attack Vehicle, which was developed during the 1980s as part of the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
's High Technology Light Division (9th Infantry Division). The HTLD was given carte blanche to develop doctrine, decide force structure, and design equipment by then Army Chief of Staff Edward C. Meyer
Edward C. Meyer
Edward Charles "Shy" Meyer was a United States Army general and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.-Early Life and Career:...
. One of the pieces of equipment created was the Fast Attack Vehicle. Chenowth delivered 120 FAVs to the Army in 1982. HTTB (High Technology Test Bed) in the units in the 9th Infantry were first to deploy these vehicles. Along with light off-road motorcycles, the FAV was intended to provide a highly mobile component to the mostly foot infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
unit.
Eventually, the FAVs were replaced by Humvees in general military use, which did not provide nearly the speed nor extreme off-road capabilities of the FAVs. FAVs were transferred to special forces use where it has been largely replaced by the Light Strike Vehicle
Light Strike Vehicle
The Light Strike Vehicle is an improved version of the Desert Patrol Vehicle it replaced. Several Light Strike Vehicles exist, including a version by Chenowth, the UK's Longline LSV and the Spider Light Strike Vehicle by Singapore Technologies Engineering...
.
Armament
The original tests used commercial dune buggiesDune buggy
A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes or beaches. The design is usually a modified vehicle and engine mounted on an open chassis. The modifications usually attempt to increase the power-to-weight ratio by either lightening the...
modified to carry weapons such as TOW missiles
BGM-71 TOW
The BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank missile. "BGM" is a weapon classification that stands for "Multiple Environment , Surface-Attack , Missile ". "TOW" is an acronym that stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command data link, guided missile"...
and recoilless rifle
Recoilless rifle
A recoilless rifle or recoilless gun is a lightweight weapon that fires a heavier projectile than would be practical to fire from a recoiling weapon of comparable size. Technically, only devices that use a rifled barrel are recoilless rifles. Smoothbore variants are recoilless guns...
s. The recoilless rifles still had enough recoil to flip the lightweight dune buggies and were abandoned. The TOW missiles had much greater success, but they violated existing Army TOW doctrine. The Army had determined that a TOW needed a 3 man team to operate it. The DPVs could only carry a two man crew and they seemed perfectly capable of operating the TOW, but this would have meant revising Army doctrine and possibly changing TOW deployment throughout the Army. Fort Benning
Fort Benning
Fort Benning is a United States Army post located southeast of the city of Columbus in Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties in Georgia and Russell County, Alabama...
decided to offer a "superior" DPV design that allowed a third crewman. This design was rejected by the HTLD team and was never produced.
The basic weapons on a DPV consist of a heavy .50 caliber
.50 BMG
The .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
M2 Browning machine gun, two lighter 7.62x51 mm M60 machine gun
M60 machine gun
The M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
s, and two M136 AT4
AT4
The AT4 is an 84-mm unguided, portable, single-shot recoilless smoothbore weapon built in Sweden by Saab Bofors Dynamics...
anti-armor weapons. In some cases, the driver's M60 or the gunner's M2 is replaced with a 40 mm
40 mm grenade
The 40mm grenade is a military grenade caliber for grenade launchers in service with many armed forces. There are two main types in service: the 40×46mm, which is a low-velocity round used in hand-held grenade launchers; and the high-velocity 40×53mm, used in mounted and crew-served weapons. The...
Mk 19 grenade launcher
Mk 19 grenade launcher
The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
. Other light machine gun
Light machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
s such as the M240 machine gun or 5.56x45 mm
5.56x45mm NATO
5.56×45mm NATO is a rifle cartridge developed in the United States and originally chambered in the M16 rifle. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries. It is derived from, but not identical to, the .223 Remington cartridge...
M249 SAW
M249 light machine gun
The M249 light machine gun , previously designated the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon , and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is an American version of the Belgian FN Minimi, a light machine gun manufactured by the Belgian company FN Herstal . The M249 is manufactured in the...
can also be mounted.
Similar US equipment
The United States Marines Corps also fielded a Fast Attack Vehicle - a completely different piece of equipment based on the venerable M151 MUTT. This FAV stayed in use long after the fielding of the HMMWV because it could fit on Marine Corps helicopters while the wider HMMWV could not. In 1999, this FAV began to be replaced with the Interim Fast Attack VehicleInterim Fast Attack Vehicle
The Interim Fast Attack Vehicle is a vehicle deployed and used by the United States Marine Force Recon and Marine Expeditionary Units...
(IFAV) a version of the Mercedes-Benz MB 290 GD 1.5 ton truck
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
The original 460-series Geländewagen went on sale for civilian buyers in 1979, after having debuted in February of that year. It was offered with two wheelbases, a short wheelbase of 2,400 mm and a long one of 2,850 mm. One could choose between three body styles: A two-door short...
.
In fiction
The DPV has appeared in many video games and movies.- The DPV is the primary American attack vehicle in the 1986 Chuck Norris film "Delta Force"The Delta Force (film)The Delta Force is a 1986 American action film starring Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin as leaders of an elite squad of Special Forces troops based on the real life U.S. Army Delta Force unit. It was directed by Menahem Golan and featured Martin Balsam, Joey Bishop, Robert Vaughn, Steve James, Robert...
. They are armed with .50 Cal machine guns. - The DPV was also seen in Three Kings. It is referred to as a Chenowth. It is the vehicle used by PV2 Walter Wogaman, to ferry around, and is later stolen by Adriana Cruz
- Two DPVs were used by the Sector 7 team to transport the Allspark in the live-action film Transformers (2007). Accordingly, the toy line released alongside the movie used the DPV as the basis for the Autobot Landmine. It is implied on the toy's packaging that the Allspark granted the vehicle a Spark off-camera.
- The DPV appears in Battlefield 2Battlefield 2Battlefield 2 is a computer game by the Swedish developer Digital Illusions CE . During development, Trauma Studios contributed to the development of the game after it was acquired by DICE...
for the United States Marine Corps and the European Union. - The DPV, referred to by its original title of Fast Attack Vehicle or FAV, appears in the 1994 film In the Army Now, in which a group of wayward water supply troops led by Pauley Shore use them to conduct a raid upon a Libyan SCUD missile base.
- The DPV is used as the Brotherhood of Nod's primary fast attack, anti-infantry, and scouting vehicle in Command and Conquer: Tiberian Dawn. It is armed with an M60 machine gunM60 machine gunThe M60 is a family of American general-purpose machine guns firing 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges from a disintegrating belt of M13 links...
in gameplay, though it appears to mount an M134 MinigunMinigunThe Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
in renders and cutscenes.
See also
- List of U.S. military vehicles by model number, (M1040 and M1041)
- Long Range Desert GroupLong Range Desert GroupThe Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
- ULTRA APULTRA APThe ULTRA AP is a concept combat vehicle that was unveiled in September 2005 by the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology, under contract from the Office of Naval Research...
- Willys FAMAE CorvoWillys FAMAE CorvoThe Willys FAMAE Corvo was an off road multi purpose vehicle intended for use with the Chilean Armed Forces. Its chassis was originally from a Willys MB and was capable of carrying mounted weapons such as a 106mm launcher....
- Light Strike VehicleLight Strike VehicleThe Light Strike Vehicle is an improved version of the Desert Patrol Vehicle it replaced. Several Light Strike Vehicles exist, including a version by Chenowth, the UK's Longline LSV and the Spider Light Strike Vehicle by Singapore Technologies Engineering...
- Chenowth Advanced Light Strike VehicleChenowth Advanced Light Strike VehicleThe Chenowth Advanced Light Strike Vehicle is an all-terrain light military vehicle developed by the United States. It is the successor to the Chenowth Light Strike Vehicle, and features improved performance and armament. The vehicle is relatively small, and can be carried in a transport aircraft...
- FMC XR311FMC XR311The XR311 was a prototype military vehicle of US origin, given the nickname G.I. Hotrod.-Development:Development of the XR311 commenced as a private venture in 1969 with the first of two prototypes being completed in 1970. As a result of the trials of these 2 prototypes the US Army purchased 10...
- Saker LSVSaker LSVThe Wessex Saker Light Strike Vehicle was a British Army light vehicle similar to a sandrail.They were produced in the late 1980s for the British Special Air Service.Design was by Wessex and Devonport Management Limited...