As the readers of Zona Militar know, the Argentine Army recently received a batch of Polaris MRZR vehicles. Polaris is a well-known supplier of light and modular tactical vehicles to global armed forces, and ZM recently spoke with the company at the Modern Day Marine (MDM) to learn more about upcoming deliveries and projects.
The company displayed its new variant, a 4×4 Polaris MRZR Alpha base vehicle with a 1 kW power export capability at the MDM expo in Washington, DC. A new snowmobile for Arctic operations was unveiled separately.
Several vehicle deliveries are ongoing or upcoming. Polaris confirmed to ZM that MRZR Alphas have been delivered to Germany, while Portugal has received MRZR D2s. Moreover, the UK Royal Marines have purchased a fleet of MRZR D4 vehicles. Several have been delivered, and more will arrive this summer. Additionally, the Spanish armed forces have acquired MRZR D2s via NSPA, or NATO Support and Procurement Agency.
As for non-European orders, as ZM has analyzed, the Argentine Army has received more MRZR vehicles. Moreover, Polaris confirmed to ZM that Brunei will receive MRZR vehicles “this summer.”
Integration of Polaris vehicles with third-party payloads is constant. At MDM, Teledyne FLIR Defense showcased the concept of an integrated vehicle: a Rogue 1 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aerial system (UAS) was placed inside a launcher, which was located on the back of a Polaris MRZR vehicle. Teledyne FLIR said, “this is a prototype, but development efforts are ongoing.”
Polaris is also adding new capabilities to its tactical vehicles. At Modern Day Marine, Polaris showed a new base MRZR Alpha vehicle with a 1 kW power export capability. “Production for this version already started in April,” Polaris Vice President Nick Francis told ZM. Long told ZM that production has commenced for the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the US Marine Corps.
Adding a 1kW export capability means the MRZR can power third-party payloads while on the move or when the engine is turned off, such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, radars, UAS, and counter-UAS systems. Adding an export payload is also “an evolution of the vehicle’s expeditionary missions,” Polaris told ZM, “by providing power-on-the-move capabilities.”
The new MRZR Alpha base has a common connector – “most systems have a 2-prong 24-volt connector, we have three ports available,” Francis explained. The executive added that the company is now working on a 5 kW version of the MRZR, which is expected to be released this summer.
The Polaris executive assured ZM that adding a power capability does not compromise the MRZR’s speed, weight, or other capacities. “We are not sacrificing anything. The vehicle is modular and easy to adapt (…) We can develop the power system without compromising capability,” Polaris assured ZM.
Looking to the future, Polaris told ZM at the Modern Day Marine expo that they are looking to expand their family of vehicles for Arctic conditions. The company recently unveiled its military snowmobile 850 Titan 155, an over-snow reconnaissance vehicle (OSRV). The two-person utility snowmobile can accommodate a passenger plus another 56 kg (125 lbs) of added cargo, as well as a hitch to tow a sled and an additional 544 kg (1200 lbs) of supplies.
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