Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier

A British Warthog on trial at Bovington Camp.

In December 2008, ST Kinetics was awarded a £150 million contract by the British Ministry of Defence for over 100 Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carriers for use in Afghanistan under an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR).[5] The vehicles, dubbed the WARTHOG in British service, supplemented Vikings operating in southern Afghanistan by the British military,[6] and was procured as part of a £700 million package of Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs) announced by Defence Secretary John Hutton. Deliveries began in the third quarter of 2009 and finished in 2010.[7][8]

Four Warthog variants were built under the contract – Troop Carrier, Ambulance, Command, and Repair & Recovery. The ambulance variant is capable of carrying casualties, medics and kit. Warthog's repair and recovery variant is fitted with a crane and winch, and has the capability to tow another 18-tonne Warthog vehicle back from the front line.

Once delivered to the UK, contractor Thales fitted the vehicles according to MoD specifications with communications systems, specialist counter-measure equipment and extra protective armour at their facility in the former MoD depot at Llangennech near Llanelli, South Wales.[9] The first vehicles arrived in service to Afghanistan in mid-2010.

In December 2010, British Army soldier – Lance Corporal William Reeks – survived an IED attack after the Warthog he was travelling in set off an improvised explosive device believed to be 50 kg (110 lb). His family believes that the stronger armour of the Warthogs, which replaced less heavily fortified Viking armoured vehicles prior to their protection upgrades, helped save their son's life.[10][11]

Warthog continued in British service in Helmand Province till the closure of Camp Bastion in 2015. It was crewed throughout its use in Afghanistan by soldiers exclusively from the Royal Armoured Corps. The last Warthog Group came from C (the Duke of Edinburgh) Squadron, the Queen's Royal Hussars.

Jane's military guide has reported that British Warthog vehicles will be transformed to serve as transporter vehicles for Thales Watchkeeper UAV manned by 32nd Regiment Royal Artillery and 47th Regiment Royal Artillery under the Army 2020 concept.[12] A March 2016 Jane's report stated the British army "dumped" the Warthog in October 2015, as "it was decided that the capability required from Warthog could be delivered by other vehicles".[13]

A variant of the Bronco All-Terrain Tracked Carrier, the Mortar Tracked Carrier (MTC) is jointly developed by the SAF, DSTA and Singapore Technologies Kinetics. Operating on a 4 men crew, the MTC's primary weapon is the ST Kinetics 120mm Super Rapid Advanced Mortar System (SRAMS), the world's first recoiled mortar to incorporate a blast diffuser,[14] greatly reducing the blast overpressure effect generated by mortars, thus allowing longer periods of firing without injuring the crew. The MTC has a built-in Automatic Fire Control System (AFCS) comprising a Fire Control Unit and an Inertial Navigation System, allowing it to conduct immediate deployment without conventional surveying methods. A hydro-pneumatic Recoil System reduces the overall recoil force, thus allowing minimal reinforcement of the original hull structure, and post-firing stabilising time. This increases the rate of firing with improved accuracy.

The AFCS is also equipped with a Mortar Platoon Management System (MPMS), which enables it to be networked via the Battlefield Management System (BMS).

•  Singapore: Singapore Armed Forces[15]
•  Thailand: Royal Thai Army

•  United Kingdom: British Army[16]