AUSA Winter 2015: Fuel and Water Solutions for a Changing World

It is over 25 years since the Berlin Wall came down and the old Cold War started to warm up, since then the shape of warfare has changed to being expeditionary with lighter forces more easily deployed over much greater distances.

The KMV Dingo utility variant with a WEW water system mounted on the back.  In the box are the pump and filtration units. (Photos: WEW)

One of the major changes that came from this was the introduction of the 20ft ISO container which can be deployed using both civil and military supply chains as we have seen during the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.  These ISO containers could be and are moved intermodally i.e. by road, rail, sea and even by air across all supply lines.  One company which exploited this logistic technology is WEW, which is based in Germany but has offices in a number of countries including the US.  The company has successfully used the standard ISO technology, complete with its corner castings used to mount the unit on a vehicle or trailer and the standard sizing, to develop a range of fuel and water Drop & Go™ systems.  These consist of a tank mounted within a standard ISO frame to give it strength and integrity and then within the same envelope the company has developed a range of modules such as pump units, filtration systems, heating and cooling, chlorination and other accessories depending on the application.

The HIPPO water system in service with the US Army has been produced by WEW in partnership with MilMar of the US.  It uses the HEMTT-LHS for load handling.

For the last 15 years WEW has developed a reputation for supplying these rugged easily transported tanks, which can carry up to 22,500 litres/6,000 US gallons, to NATO nations including the US Army, the German Bundeswehr and the British Army for service in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.  These Drop & Go systems can be transported using variety of cargo handling systems such as PLS and DROPS.

Warfare has evolved.  Where we once envisioned large formations fighting on the plains in central Europe, we now focus on a full spectrum of operations, from warfare to Security and Stability Operations to peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance with smaller formations widely dispersed over greater distances where mobility is one of the key factors and bases are only temporary.  The introduction of the Protected Patrol vehicle and adoption of MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) technologies has given defence forces the ability to penetrate much deeper into hostile territory.  This brings with it the need for the patrol to have its own fuel and water.  WEW has taken this requirement in its stride and developed a range of smaller units which incorporate much of the quality and technology that the company is recognised for.  These units can be mounted either on utility variants of patrol vehicle, carried on smaller armoured logistic vehicles or mounted on a trailer.  Some of the company’s solutions can be coupled together to become the same size as an ISO container for bulk transport.  But core to all the of the company’s family of fuel and water systems is quality, reliability and most importantly designed to meet the warfighter’s requirements.

The WEW trailer module for the German Bundeswehr undergoing tilt trials prior to acceptance into service. Four of these units when dismounted from the trailer can be linked together to form a 20ft ISO unit for easy intermodal transport.