IDEX 2025 – Calidus 8×8 family grows

The Calidus stand at IDEX 2025 sees a lot of first, however what strikes the eye of the visitor is the number of 8×8 armoured vehicles on display; three versions of its Wahash can be seen, three of them in a new configuration, however the newest product is the LIFV, which stands for Light Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which is “light” if compared to the Wahash, with a maximum gross vehicle mass of 34,000 kg

Let’s shortly describe the Wahash versions seen at the Abu Dhabi exhibition before switching to the newcomer. But before starting let’s mention the contract worth AED 2.36 billion (595 million Euro) for the acquisition of an unisclosed number of Wahash 8×8 in the infantry fighting vehicle version. One of these, fitted with the BMP-3 turret, was visible at IDEX together with a new air defence version, fitted with the Korkut turret made by Aselsan of Turkey, in use in the Turkish Land Forces. This has a weight of 7,000 kg and is armed with two 35 mm cannons providing a rate of fire of 1,100 rounds per minute. The weapons are fitted to fire the Atom 35 airburst munition, of which 200 are ready to be fired in the system autoloader, while 200 more are available on board. The Korkut effective range is around 5 km. In this configuration the vehicle mass is of 34,000 kg.

Adding an indirect fire support member to the family, the Lahab 155 mm self-propelled howitzer is made of the Wahash chassis on which the Lahab turret is added. Armed with a 155/52 mm ordnance, this was fully developed by Calidus. His mass of 13,000 kg brings the overall gross vehicle mass up to 36,000 kg, which means 9,000 kg per axle. The turret is fitted with an autoloader which contains 28 ready to fire artillery rounds up to five different types, 22 spare rounds being hosted on board. With a maximum rate of fire of 8 rounds per minute, the first round leaving the barrel one minute after the Lahab has come to a complete stop, one minute being needed to be ready to move at the end of the firing mission. Maximum range is 50 km, the system being capable of firing three rounds in the multiple round simultaneous impact mode. The Lahab hosts one driver and two personnel in the turret, commander and gunner, a seat for a third soldier being available, while some extra room remains available also in the hull. The Lahab is starting qualification tests.

Compared to the previously described vehicles, the one displayed at the entrance of the Calidus stand looks smaller, and in fact it is. Its height to the roof is only 2.4 metres, it is 2.9 metres wide and 8 metres long (respective data for the Wahash being 2.7, 3.1 and 8.5). One of the main reasons goes back to physics, and more precisely to the Archimedes law; the Wahash is amphibious, the new LIFV is not. Calidus identified a market where the amphibious capability is not part of the requirements, and therefore its engineers designed a vehicle without this constraint. Another design parameter comes from the fact that since the beginning it was decided to equip the new vehicle with an unmanned medium calibre turret, freeing a lot of space inside the vehicle itself as there is no turret basket; in contrast the Wahash was designed to cope with the BMP-3 turret, which basket is pretty deep.

On the automotive side, the new 8×8 fully exploits the Wahash automotive components; it therefore maintains the 724 hp engine of the Wahash as well as the automatic seven speeds plus two reverse and is fitted with independent double wishbone suspensions with hydropneumatic dampers, ride height suspensions being proposed as option.

With a kerb mass of only 21,000 kg, at IDEX the LIFV was fitted with the Nefer turret, another Aselsan product, which brought its combat mass up to 27,000 kg, however the vehicle gross combat mass is of 34,000 kg, leaving therefore a considerable growth potential. In the version seen in Abu Dhabi the Nefer was armed with a weapon of Russian origin, the ubiquitous 2A42 30 mm cannon which fires 30×165 mm ammunition, the reason being a commonality with BMP-3s in service in the UAE Armed Forces. Some 200 ready to fire rounds are available in the turret, which on the left side is fitted with a twin launcher for the Alheda missile, designed and produced by Calidus Missile & Defence Division.

The Alheda missile is a 10 km range weapon that can be fitted either with a semi-active laser or an imaging infrared seeker, and with a high explosive or a tandem shaped charged warhead. The Alheda is already in production at the Calidus Missile & Defence division. However, the company realised that the market is requiring a lighter solution, hence it started working on a new missile, which will maintain most of the Alheda characteristics but will have a shorter range, EDR On-Line understood this should be of around 6 km; known currently as A2, it is in the conceptual phase, but it development should not take a long time as it will exploit many of the Alheda building blocks.

In the standard configuration the LIFV can carry eight dismounts, however up to 10 can be transported; these access the vehicle via a rear ramp, another major difference with the Wahash, which features two hinged doors at the rear.

The LIFV can reach a maximum speed of 130 km/h, has a range of 700 km, can climb a 70% gradient, cope with a 40% side slope, its approach and departure angles are identical at 45°, can cross a 2 metres wide trench, and overcome a 0.8 metres vertical obstacle. It is fitted with 16R20 pneumatics, the same dimension used on the Wahash.

No details were provided on protection, but it is safe to say that this should be in line with that of the Wahash; active protection is proposed as option. As in the case of the Washah also the IFV does not feature a V-shaped bottom.

One other distinctive feature is the full windscreen adopted on the LIFV. This provides the driver and commander with an unobstructed wide field of view, nearly 180°, which improves situational awareness. This thanks to the way the various elements of the powerpack, engine, transmission and cooling system, have been arranged, the whole system being hosted at the very front of the vehicle with the engine on the left side.

The vehicle exhibited at IDEX was the very first prototype, which was test driven at the factory, qualification trials being scheduled following the Abu Dhabi exhibition.

Photos by P. Valpolini