Camouflage mini cranes for British Forces

The Ministry of Defence has invested in a fleet of Unic mini spider cranes from Unic Cranes Europe to be used by British Forces. The signature bright red paintwork on the Unic URW-376 mini cranes sold to the MoD has been traded in for a camouflage green respray.

As showcased at the Vertikal Days exhibition earlier this year, these MoD-approved mini cranes bear all the hallmark features of the popular 2.9 tonne capacity Unic URW-376 model but have been modified to make them completely fit for purpose. The bespoke machines underwent a thorough testing procedure to ensure that they met the standards set by the British Forces for their equipment.

Unic mini cranes are already proven performers in the military and aviation sectors as they have the lifting power to handle heavy machinery and aircraft parts whilst working around obstacles with precision. As well as being extremely portable and quick to set up, these versatile cranes were chosen as they can work on uneven terrain with their multi-positionable outriggers and operate safely in a variety of environments, from arctic to desert conditions.

Once transported to any potentially hazardous lifting locations, the crane’s audio features can be turned off and any lights can be dimmed so the operation can be carried out without being detected. The machine’s traffic light lamps have also been replaced with a sturdier LED light strip which will remain intact during transport and alleviate any risk of creating FOD (foreign object debris).

Graeme Riley, CEO, Unic Cranes Europe, said: “It’s a real accomplishment for us as the master European distributor for Unic mini cranes to have our machines successfully make the grade and be taken on by the MoD. We’ll be here to provide support and training along the way to ensure that our mini cranes prove to be an effective tool in aiding the British Forces with their work.”

Unic Cranes Europe, part of GGR Group Ltd, is the European distributor for Furukawa Unic (Japan), specialising in the supply of mini spider cranes across 27 European countries.