| In the late 1980s, the United States Air Force Special Operations Command planners identified a requirement for a new vehicle to replace the aging M151's then utilized by
AFSOC’s Combat Control Teams and pararescue jumpers in performance of their medical treatment and casualty evacuation missions. System requirements included extreme
high mobility combined with packaging design that would allow the vehicles to be easily transported as part of a larger C-130 load, and within selected helicopters.
Eventually a small southern California off-road vehicle manufacturer, North American Raceco (later the Flyer Group Inc.), which had been building high performance off-road
racing vehicles for almost 20 years, began to develop the Rescue All Terrain Transport (RATT) a specialized vehicle platform capable of meeting AFSOC’s unique rescue
missions. The company received its initial contract to build a single prototype R-1 vehicle at the beginning of 1991 with that system subsequently delivered for government
testing in early summer. After some modifications to the specifications, a follow-on contract for 14 production vehicles was awarded in January 1992 with those systems
delivered over the next two years.
The original RATTs were powered by a 110 horsepower, Type IV Porsche 914 air-cooled gasoline engine that reportedly gave the R-1 a weight savings of almost 50 percent
over similar water-cooled power packs. they also have two-piece lightweight high-strength spun aluminum wheels. The rear wheels are also equipped with run-flat drive
devices and features larger tires. A height reduction ratchet strap is located at each wheel position which allows the crew to reduce overall vehicle height by 4 inches.
Additional design features include a dual 24-volt battery system, a removable winch and height-reduction ratchet straps. The electrical system is intended to provide sufficient
power to conduct casualty treatment when the vehicle is stopped for extended periods with adjustable floodlights attached to the litter frame at each patient station. The driver
is provided with a blackout switch that immediately kills all white light and allows the vehicle to proceed with only infrared headlights.
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VARIANTS OF THE SERIES
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R-1 - Ambulance/Casevac version.
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GENERAL RECOGNITION POINTS
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- Two-axle vehicle with wider track at front than rear.
- Bar-type fram on vehicle.
- Single front left drivers position with crew access to his right.
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WEBSITES
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DOCUMENTS
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FORUMS |
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