OAF HA 2-90 Husar

     Notes: This light 4x4 truck was designed by OAF for the Austrian Army to replace the Dodge WC51/52.  The Austrians accepted it for service, but only 136 were built before production was cancelled; the Austrian Army declined to produce a large amount, in favor of the Pinzgauer (below).  Production ran from 1968 to 1969. It is a conventional truck, with a rear cargo area that has drop sides.  The cab is mostly all-metal and fully enclosed, but some had an open cab (34 of the total). The left side was only partially droppable, with the space wheel cutout not allowing the entire left side to be folded. Note that if the Husar stays on roads, the Husar can haul 3 tons. Some Husars have been fitted with a 3.5-ton capacity winch in the front. They have a universal trailer coupling in the rear and a tow hitch to the front; the Husar can tow 3 tons on road, and 1.5 tons off road. Brakes, but not steering, are power assisted, and act on all four wheels. The Husar is powered by an OAF D-0834 M6 diesel developing 90 horsepower, coupled to a manual transmission.

     The Husar was later sold at public auctions to civilian concerns, and many continue in service today, with systems rebuilt several times.

Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer 4x4/6x6 Light Trucks

     Notes: This is a light truck built by Austria and used by that country and Ghana, Nigeria, Oman, Sudan, Switzerland, and several Middle Eastern and South American countries.  It has a beefy suspension and all-steel construction.  Some newer versions of this vehicle have a larger fuel tank.  The Steyr 2.5-liter and 2.7-liter engines were designed specifically for the Pinzgauer and have more than one oil pump to retain positive oil pressure to the engine and transmission regardless of orientation of the chassis. The Pinzgauer has basically a box-like shape, with a canvas cab top and a canvas cover over bows for the rear cargo area; some have a continuous hard top. The internals are designed to keep the center of gravity as low as possible, and have a central tube chassis with a transaxle. The Pinzgauer has locking differentials.

     The second-generation Pinzgauer II differs primarily in being mostly hard-topped versions and having Volkswagen D24T diesel engines developing 84 horsepower, 91 horsepower, or 110 horsepower engines. The Pinzgauer II also has a standard automatic transmission with an optional manual transmission, slightly wider track, slightly bigger tires, disc brakes.  Some later Pinzgauer IIs had a Volvo D24TIC diesel engine with 127 horsepower.

     The Turbo D variant was produced and used primarily by the British Army. It is in service with airmobile and commando units.  It is otherwise a conventional truck.  The Turbo D is powered by a 109-horsepower Volkswagen TDi turbocharged diesel engine which meets Euro III emission standards.

     The Pinzgauer 6x6 1½-Ton is a larger, 6x6 version of the Pinzgauer 4x4 1-ton described above.  The Austrian Army has mounted 20mm Oerlikon antiaircraft cannons in some of these vehicles. A light armored version called the Vector was briefly used by the British Army in Afghanistan. (Troops quickly lost confidence in the Vector due to its limited armor protection and commanders ordered it withdrawn.) The Malaysian Army uses the 6x6 Pinzgauer to tow heavy mortars.

     Pinzgauers may double their load hauled or towed by staying on roads. The Pinzgauer 4x4 may tow 1.5 tons off-road; the 6x6 may tow 1.8 tons off-road.

     The Pinzgauer was built from 1971 to 2000 by Steyr-Puch in Graz, Austria. A small number were built by BAE after that, but production seems to have stalled in 2009, though the production line remains active to produce spare parts. Variants range from liaison vehicles to ambulances to weapon carriers.

Steyr-Puch 700 AP Haflinger

     Notes: The Haflinger is a very light off-road vehicle, little more than a platform that (sometimes) has a tubular framework with a canvas cover.  The Haflinger was designed to produce a locally-based replacement for the Willys MB and Ford GPW Jeeps.

     The rear seat may be folded down to allow more cargo space.  The vehicle comes with a post for mounting weapons; these may range in size from automatic rifles to 90mm recoilless rifles or light ATGM, but no weapon is provided.  The Haflinger comes in a short wheelbase and long wheelbase model; the SWB version is about 2.8 meters long, while the LWB model is about 3.2 meters long. The suspension is nonetheless 4x4, and the engines, while low-powered, are fuel efficient and adequate for the vehicle’s light weight and it has excellent on-road and off-road mobility. Though not in Austrian service anymore, they have passed into the hands of civilian collectors and companies and soldier on, and continue all over the world, as they served in 35 countries.  The Haflinger is air droppable, sling-loadable, and can be loaded into the beds of various trucks and load-bearing vehicles. The Haflinger has a very low center of gravity and is resistant to overturning. Both axles have differential locks, and the ground clearance is relatively high. The vehicle has independent suspension for each wheel.

     The Pinzgauer may be thought of in some ways as an enlarged Haflinger. Variants include the Polycab, with a fully enclosed fiberglass body, the SchneeWiesel, with tires replaced with tracks for over-the-snow operations, the Swiss Military version, with bumpers and a canvas cover over bows, and the USA Spec, with headlights and a number of features to allow the Haflinger to be street-legal on US roads. In addition to over 16,000 produced in Austria, some 800 were assembled from parts kits in Australia.