Arquus Scarabee: Crab-Walking, Remote-Controlled Euro Humvee

By
Tammy Waitt
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Just as it appears the Oshkosh JLTV looks set to wipe out its competition and armored pickup trucks are an irresistible choice, the Scarabee’s potential shouldn’t be missed. France is not only a competitive exporter of its military products, but is also generous with production licenses. (Courtesy of Arquus)
Just as it appears the Oshkosh JLTV looks set to wipe out its competition and armored pickup trucks are an irresistible choice, the Scarabee’s potential shouldn’t be missed. France is not only a competitive exporter of its military products, but is also generous with production licenses. (Courtesy of Arquus)

June 21, 2019 – In Breaking News – Daily Mail

Arquus has shared incredible footage of its new tank that can drive sideways and could soon be used by the French army.

The Volvo-owned company, which focuses on battlefield-ready vehicles, has named its new light tank Scarabée, or beetle, reports Popular Science.

It has two engines in the back – one electric and one diesel – which help it reach top speeds of 75mph (120kmph), despite weighing 6.6 tonnes.

(Volvo-owned Arquus’ new tank – Scarabée, or beetle – can drive sideways because each of its wheels are powered. Arquus unveiled the Scarabee, the company’s latest light tactical vehicle, to a select audience at Eurosatory 2018 but said little about the design or its progress until showing a handful of reporters the sole Scarabee prototype during an event in late May 2019. Courtesy of Update Militer and YouTube. Posted on Jun 15, 2019.)

HOW DOES ARQUUS’ NEW TANK MOVE SIDEWAYS?

The Scarabée, or beetle, moves in a similar way to a regular 4×4 in that each of its wheels are powered.

The driver can move individual wheels in any direction, meaning the front wheels can face a different direction to the back so that the vehicle can turn on the spot.

In order to move sideways, the driver must turn each of the wheels in the same direction.

It can also be dropped from a place without a parachute - provided it is from a low height
It can also be dropped from a place without a parachute – provided it is from a low height. Courtesy of Arquus.

Arquus’ CEO Emmanuel Lavacher told Popular Science: ‘We really worked on the speed because that is also a form of protection.

Emmanuel Levacher, Arquus' CEO
Emmanuel Levacher, Arquus’ CEO

‘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.’

Arquus’ new vehicle, which is 6ft (1.8m) tall and 15ft (4.6m) across, is just one of the candidates being considered as a replacement for the French army’s current fleet of light-armored vehicles by 2025.

The firm used composite materials to provide the best protection for the four-manned vehicle, which can also be remote controlled.

Each of the vehicle’s wheels are powered, which gives it its crab-like ability to drive sideways – which can be used to avoid mines with ease.

Continue reading… The crab-tank: Military vehicle made by Volvo can drive SIDEWAYS and could soon be used to transport the French Army

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