The Boeing Phantom Badger, or simply the Badger, is a combat support vehicle built by

Boeing The Boeing Company () is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles worldwide. The company also provides leasing and ...

, in collaboration with MSI Defense Solutions. Designed for transport inside the

V-22 Osprey The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey is an American multi-mission, tiltrotor military aircraft with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities. It is designed to combine the functionality of a convention ...

, the Badger is notable for its size and versatility. Unlike previous vehicles and competing offers, the Badger's design is such that it avoids non-standard equipment, instead using already available hardware for construction. Although officially certified for use with

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

aircraft, the Badger is also used by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

as well as

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...

special operations. The Badger is the second vehicle to fit into the MV-22 after the M1161 Growler ― the Internally Transportable Light Strike Vehicle (ITV-LSV) also designed specifically for use with the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.

Design

The Badger is designed with mission-specific rear modules that are attached with six bolts at six connection points that can be interchanged on the field in 30 minutes or less. Interchangeable modular mission capabilities include reconnaissance, combat search and rescue, casualty transport and explosive ordnance disposal in addition to mounts for weapons like a .50-caliber machine gun and 40mm automatic grenade launcher.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Boeing Phantom Badger
All-wheel-drive vehicles Military trucks of the United States Off-road vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 2010s Military light utility vehicles Post–Cold War armored fighting vehicles of the United States