They say history repeats itself. In the case of the Oshkosh Striker aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) vehicle, it seems to be the case. Back in 2010 at FDIC, Oshkosh unveiled a totally new vehicle for AFFF. The Oshkosh Striker was born after several years of engineering design and input.
The vehicle took the market by storm with thousands sold to customers in over 70 countries around the world. As if this wasn’t enough, in 2012 the new generation Striker was born. Originally planned for the overseas market, it wasn’t long before it was marketed to airport fire departments in the United States.
The next generation Striker was featured with newer advanced safety systems, new fire suppression technology, up to a 6 à— 6 axle configuration, and the TAK-4 independent suspension system. It also had a 700-hp Tier 4 Euro 5 emissions system mated to a seven-speed transmission with a top speed of 70 mph.
The new generation was available in 4 à— 4 and 6 à— 6 versions. In 2017, the largest Oshkosh Striker, the 8 à— 8, will be displayed for the first time in the United States.
The 8 à— 8 version is being touted as the most powerful ARFF vehicle in Oshkosh company history. The new generation 8 à— 8 is powered by a pair of twin rear mounted Scania engines that produce 1,540 hp.
Tier-4 low emissions engines will drive all eight wheels for faster acceleration. Combined with the TAK-4 independent suspension, all- wheel drive is also part of the chassis on these vehicles.
According to Oshkosh, the new design came about from taking ideas from customer input and several years of research and development as well as advanced engineering.
The way the vehicle will operate is that when the Striker 8 à— 8 switches into pump and roll, or firefighting mode, one engine will switch over and be dedicated to the water pump and firefighting systems. The firefighting systems include water and foam and other agents as well. There will be options that include bumper and roof turrets, structural firefighting capabilities, and the Snozzle HRET, which gives firefighting capabilities as high as 65 feet. Firefighters can operate the boom five feet below grade and can be equipped with a hardened carbide steel tip and perforated nozzle.
It should be interesting to see how this new vehicle operates at some of the larger airports around the United States.
Just last month, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey placed an order for 24 new generation Strikers. While it won’t include any of the 8 à— 8s for now, the order includes 14 6 à— 6s with the 65-foot HRET and 10 4 à— 4 apparatus. The purchase also includes the Striker Training Simulator, virtual reality training system that I reported on several months ago. This department operated the original Oshkosh Striker apparatus since 2010.
Looks like another winner for Oshkosh. Can’t wait to see what the future brings.
