Complete Guide 07-1 (Medium Armored Vehicles)

1armada INTERNATIONAL 1/2007

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Bullish MediumArmoured Vehicles

In the introduction to Armada International’s 2006 Medium Armoured Vehiclessupplement it was reported that three European members of Nato were set toselect wheeled armoured fighting vehicles over the coming months. The honourswere evenly divided.

Deliveries of the new NexterVBCI will start in 2008

Ian Kemp

O n 27 January 2006 the Belgiangovernment announced it wouldacquire up to 242 Mowag 8 � 8

Piranha IIIC vehicles in a project worthover € 500 million. Five months later theCzech Minister of Defence signed a € 821 million contract with Steyr-Daim-ler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug for 199 8 � 8Pandur IIs with an option for another 35.In October the Dutch governmentannounced its intention to remain withthe Artec Boxer programme and a jointDutch-German production contract wassigned just before Armada went to press.In both Belgium and the Czech Republicthe selected wheeled vehicles will formthe basis of those countries’ armouredfighting vehicle fleets, while in theNetherlands the Boxer will support thearmy’s new BAE Systems Hägglundstracked CV9035s.

While some armies are switching toall-wheeled fleets for either doctrinal oreconomic reasons others are electing tomaintain a mixed fleet. The HellenicArmy confirmed at Defendory in Octo-ber its intention to buy up to 291 trackedinfantry fighting vehicles worth up to € 1.7 billion to operate in conjunctionwith its 353 Leopard 2A4 and 2A6 tanks.Competition is certain to be fierce forone of the few tracked vehicle require-ments in Europe for the foreseeable

future. The BAE Systems HägglundsCV90, the Kurgan BMP-3, the PSMPuma and the Steyr-Daimler-Puch Ulanare all contenders. However, immediatepriority is being given to the acquisitionof 84 armoured personnel carriers forpeacekeeping operations.

The real news in the field over the pasttwelve months has not been the long run-ning, often spurious, debate about the rel-ative merits of wheels and tracks, each

have their place in modern military oper-ations, but how the US-led ‘Global Waron Terror’ is shaping requirements. Coali-tion vehicles designed for high intensitycombat at long ranges are being attackedat short range, often in crowded urbanenvironments by volleys of cheap rocket-propelled grenades and improvisedexplosive devices (IED). Vehicles whichoffer protection against such threats arebeing procured as urgent operationalrequirements by the British, Canadian,Dutch, US and other armies committedto that battle. The British Ministry ofDefence, for example, announced on 24July a vehicle package to provide betterprotection for its forces in Afghanistanand Iraq: the acquisition of 86 Force Pro-

The US Marine Corps has ordered 281 new LAV-A2s from General Dynamics inparallel with several initiatives to modernise and refurbish its hard-used fleet of some700 LAVs. (US Marine Corps)

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tection Cougar H 6 � 6 personnel carri-ers, the purchase of another 66 PinzgauerVector 6 � 6 ‘Protected Patrol Vehicles’and the modernisation of a further 70tracked FV430-series vehicles with a newpowerpack and improved protection.This twin-track approach of providingenhanced protection for in-service vehi-cles and the acquisition of armouredvehicles built to provide a high level ofprotection against mines and IEDs is typ-ical of the approach adopted by manycountries.

In this supplement Armada will con-centrate on both wheeled and trackedvehicles primarily in the 10 to 30-tonnerange that have recently been the objectof a launch or substantial upgrade. Thestatus of the American Future CombatSystem, for its part, has been revisited inArmada International’s current issue,1/2007, in the AUSA show report.

Follow-on Piranha OrdersNo modern wheeled armoured vehicle isused more extensively or has seen morecombat than the Piranha developed byMowag of Switzerland, now part of Gen-eral Dynamics European Land CombatSystems.

The Piranha received the LAV name bywhich it is widely known when the USMarine Corps selected the 8 � 8 Piranha Ifor its Light Armored Vehicle project in1981. The now GDLS – Canada factory inLondon, Ontario produced 758 vehiclesfrom 1983 to 1988. These have seen exten-sive use most recently in Afghanistan andIraq and the US Marine Corps is funding aservice life extension programme to keepthem operating for another 20 years byimproving sustainability and reliability. InFebruary 2006 GDLS received ordersworth $ 178.3 million to provide 130 newLAV-A2s in various configurations for theMarine Corps and provide 394 electric tur-ret drives for existing cars. Other improve-ments to the LAV-A2, besides the turretdrive, include an improved suspension, anautomatic fire suppression system and fit-tings for enhanced armour and for crewprotection. The vehicles are scheduled fordelivery between July 2007 and July 2008.

In October the Marine Corps boosted thecontract value to $ 317 million with a pro-duction order for a further 151 LAV-A2sto be delivered by December 2008. Sepa-rate projects are underway to modernisethe earlier LAVs by installing an ImprovedThermal Sight System, enhancing thelethality of the M242 25 mm cannon of theLAV-25 variant and upgrading 50 com-mand and control vehicles. The marinesare also planning to install the Delco LAV-

25 ‘saddlebag’ Tow turret on 95 anti-tankvariants and replace the 81 mm mortar in50 mortar vehicles with the same 120 mmrifled mortars used in the ExpeditionaryFire Support System.

The Saudi Arabian National Guard(Sang) received 1117 8 � 8 LAV Is intwelve variants under a US Foreign Mili-tary Sales order. These included 73 vehi-cles mounting the BAE Systems 120 mmArmoured Mortar System and 130assault guns fitted with the CMI DefenceCTS two-person turret armed with theCockerill Mk 8 90 mm gun. GDLS ispoised to repeat this success following aSang request to purchase 724 LAVs in tendifferent variants.

GDLS – Canada is in the final stage ofa contract to produce 651 LAV IIIs forthe Canadian Army. The last of 33 TowUnder Armour vehicles was delivered inMay 2006, and by July 2007 deliveriesshould be complete of 39 engineer vehi-cles equipped with a remote weapon sta-tion, dozer blade, hydraulic tool systemand provision for a safe lane marking sys-tem.The service cancelled plans to buy 66Stryker MGS vehicles in favour of retain-ing the Leopard C2 tank.

In August 2004 the Australian Armyreceived the last of 144 LAV II vehiclesordered under Phase 3 of the AustralianLAV (Aslav) project, and under a 2004contract GDLS – Australia upgraded the113 Phase 2 Aslavs, delivered between1995 and 1997, to match Phase 3 vehicles.The upgrades include a new turret electricdrive, enhanced thermal sight with laserrangefinder and an improved fire controlsystem for the 25 mm turrets, the integra-tion of a GPS-based navigation systemand an enhanced suspension system. TheNew Zealand Army now operates 105LAV IIIs, the last delivered in November2004, allowing the service to deploy andsustain an NZLAV battalion.

On 27 January 2006 the Belgian gov-ernment announced it would acquire up to242 Mowag 8 � 8 Piranha IIIC vehicles inseven variants in a project worth over € 800 million including logistics support.These will replace the army’s fleets of

The US Army is preparing the General Dynamics M1128 Stryker Mobile Gun System(MGS), the last Stryker variant to enter service, for deployment to Iraq later in 2007.The 105 mm-armed vehicle will provide direct fire support for Stryker infantrycompanies. (US Army)

With the introduction of the Mowag 8 � 8 Piranha IIIC (seen here in itsbasic configuration) the Belgian Armywill switch to an all-wheeled fleet. ItsLeopard 1 tanks are scheduled to bereplaced by 40 Piranha direct-firevehicles fitted with the CMI 90 mmturret. (Mowag)

A General Dynamics M1127 Stryker Reconnaissance Vehicle provides security duringan operation in Iraq. Situational awareness provided by the M1127 and other typesof surveillance systems is crucial to the success of the US Army’s current transformationeffort. (US Army)


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e tracked AIFVs, M113s and Leopard1A5BE tanks. Delivery of the first 138vehicles will occur from 2007 to 2012, withadditional options for 81 and 23 vehiclesfor delivery from 2012 to 2015. If alloptions are exercised the service willreceive: 99 APCs with the FN HerstalArrows 12.7 mm overhead weapon sta-tion, 32 APCs armed with the Elbit 30 mmoverhead weapon station, 40 direct-firevehicles fitted with the CMI 90 mm turret,24 command vehicles, 18 engineer vehi-cles, 17 recovery and repair vehicles and12 ambulances. Mowag will supply the ini-tial vehicles and driveline, suspension andother components for vehicle assemblybeing conducted at the facilities of Jonck-heere and CMI in Belgium. The samemonth the Irish Department of Defencesigned a € 30 million contract for 15 Piran-ha IIIH vehicles to add to 65 already inservice. Nine APCs will be equipped withthe 12.7 mm Kongsberg Remote WeaponStation and six vehicles will be fitted withan Oto Melara 30 mm gun turret.

Mowag had already received PiranhaIII orders from Denmark (91 8 � 8 vehi-cles in APC and ambulance configura-tions), Spain (18 8 � 8 vehicles for themarines including APCs fitted with theCadillac Gage 40 mm/12.7 mm turret)and Switzerland (36 radio access pointvehicles). The Swiss Army already oper-ates 310 6 � 6 Piranha I Tow-armed anti-tank vehicles and 515 8 � 8 Piranha IIAPCs with the Rheinmetall single crewturret armed with an M2 12.7 mm heavymachine gun. Sweden is the only cus-tomer for the 10 � 10 Piranha ArmouredCombat Vehicle, with six vehicles used inthe command post role and seven fittedwith an Ericsson mast-mounted airdefence radar.

Mowag completed the first prototypeof the larger Piranha IV in 2001 and thesecond in 2004. Described as an IFVrather than an APC, the new vehicle offersgreater internal volume, higher payload,better armour protection and improvedmobility compared to the Piranha III.The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forcecould be the launch customer for thePiranha IV as Komatsu, which has alicence to manufacture the vehicle inJapan, is scheduled to complete a proto-

type modified to the army’s specificationsin 2007. An IFV variant is expected to be armed with an externally-mountedmedium-calibre cannon. Other versionsplanned include APC, mortar, anti-tank,air defence, command and control, recon-naissance and self-propelled howitzer.BAE Systems has the rights to manufac-ture the Piranha IV and is looking for cus-tomers in the Middle East.Alvis, now partof BAE Systems, produced more than 320Piranha II and III vehicles for Oman,Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

A Piranha V prototype, currently beingbuilt at Mowag in Kreuzlingen, will beofficially rolled out on 8 September 2007.Preliminary data on this new design canbe seen on our three page fold-out tablein the centre of this supplement.

Final Stryker Variant At Fort Lewis, Washington the 4thBrigade, 2nd Infantry Division, one ofseven US Army brigades that are being

infantry, hence each Stryker infantry com-pany includes a platoon of three MGSvehicles. The performance of the MGS inIraq will be studied closely.

It was at the Association of the USArmy convention in 1999 that the thenChief of Staff General Eric Shinseki

There are two main Stryker variants – the M1126 Infantry Carrier Vehicle and theM1128 Mobile Gun System. The carrier vehicle has eight sub-configurations:

Stryker Variants

The British Army has ordered 86 ForceProtection Cougars, designated theMastiff Protected Patrol Vehicle, tosupport operations in Afghanistan.Britain is fitting vertical armour platescovering the vehicle’s large visionblocks and weapon firing ports. (BritishMinistry of Defence)

BAE Systems is the prime contractor inthe project to supply up to 1050 IraqiLight Armored Vehicles (Ilav), based onForce Protection’s 4 � 4 Cougar, to theIraq’s armed forces. (BAE Systems)

announced his intention to spearhead thearmy’s transformation effort with theacquisition of a medium armoured vehi-cle for rapid deployment missions. TheSBCTs are designed to have more pro-tection and mobility than a light divisionwhile being more strategically and tacti-cally deployable than an armoured ormechanised infantry division. Only fouryears later the first Stryker Brigade Com-bat Team was in action in Iraq, and someseven years later GDLS has deliveredmore than 1800 of the 2691 Strykers onorder. By any standards it is an impres-sive programme.

equipping with the General DynamicsLand Systems 8 � 8 Stryker (LAV III)family, is preparing for another rotation toIraq in mid-year. Following the delivery ofits 27 Stryker Mobile Gun System (MGS)vehicles it will be the first Stryker brigadeto deploy with its full complement of tenStryker variants. Armed with a GeneralDynamics 105 mm cannon in a low-pro-file, unmanned turret, the MGS carries 18rounds of 105 mm ammunition, 400rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition and 34007.62 mm rounds. The role of the StrykerMGS is not armoured combat but to pro-vide direct fire support to dismounted

� M1130 Command Vehicle � M1127 Reconnaissance Vehicle � M1131 Fire Support Vehicle � M1129 Mortar Carrier

� M1134 Anti-tank guided missile vehicle� M1132 Engineer Squad Vehicle � M1133 Medical Evacuation Vehicle� M1135 NBC Reconnaissance Vehicle


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The steel hull of the Stryker will defeat7.62 mm AP rounds and the ceramicappliqué armour protects against 14.5mm rounds and a 152 mm airburst. As aninterim solution, Strykers in Iraq are fit-ted with ‘slat armour’, a wire cage aroundthe vehicle, which is intended to triggerRPGs before they reach the vehicle’sarmour. The Stryker will be fitted withnew reactive armour for improved pro-tection against RPGs.

Two-thirds of the Strykers are built atthe Anniston Army Depot in Alabamaand the remainder at the GDLS – Cana-da plant in London, Ontario. The US AirForce also received its first Strykers inMay 2005, five vehicles transferred fromthe army, for use by air support opera-tions teams assigned to the SBCTs. It ispossible that more vehicles will beordered for this role.

Cougars ProliferateForce Protection of Ladson, South Car-olina, has expanded its work force fromtwelve employees at the beginning of2004 to more than 500, and in November2006 signed two teaming agreementswith two major US defence manufactur-ers. Its success is based on the Cougar Hfamily of medium mine-protected vehi-cles designed by South African engineers.Powered by a 300-hp Caterpillar C-7diesel engine, the 4 � 4 Cougar has a com-bat weight of 14.5 tonnes, while the 6 � 6version has a weight of 21.5 tonnes. TheCougar can withstand the detonation of13.6 kg of a TNT equivalent under eachwheel and 6.8 kg under the hull.The com-pany points proudly to the fact that morethan 200 Cougar and Buffalo vehicles aredeployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and byJuly 2006 have withstood more than 1000mine detonations and IED attacks with-out a single occupant being killed.Although initially acquired by US forcesas an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD)vehicle, the Cougar can be configured fora wide range of tasks; including trooptransport (up to 14 in the 6 � 6), com-

mand and control, artillery prime mover,recovery and ambulance.

The US Marine Corps purchasedabout 27 Cougars in 2004 for use by itsEOD teams in Iraq and this was followedby a $ 45.7 million contract in May 2005for 122 Cougar Joint Explosive OrdnanceRapid Response Vehicles (JERRV) foruse by the US Joint Improvised Explo-sive Device Defeat Task Force in Iraq. InMay 2006 the US placed a $ 50.9 millionorder for 79 JERRVs and this followed inNovember with a $ 125 million contractfor 100 JERRVs, 44 Buffalos and associ-ated logistics support. In NovemberForce Protection signed one agreementwith GDLS covering structure fabrica-tion and the second with Armor Hold-ings’ Aerospace & Defense Group cover-ing automotive integration and vehicleassembly.

In May 2006 Tacom awarded BAESystems an indefinite-delivery/indefi-nite-quantity Foreign Military Salesorder potentially worth $ 445.4 million toprovide up to 1050 Iraqi Light ArmoredVehicles (Ilav). The vehicle selected forthe Ilav is the 4 � 4 Cougar H. The initialproduction order for 378 vehicles was fol-lowed by an order for a further 20 inOctober. Deliveries to Iraq under theoriginal production order began only 90days after contract award and are sched-uled for completion by mid-2007.

The British Army has also ordered 86Cougars, under the local designationMastiff, under a $ 62.9 million FMS con-tract to be completed by May 2007.Britain is fitting vertical armour platesover the vehicle’s large vision blocks andweapon firing ports.

Despite being partnered with ForceProtection for the Ilav project BAE Systems unveiled its own rival to theCougar, the 6 � 6 RG33L Mine-Protect-ed Vehicle, at the AUSA exhibitionbetween 9 and 11 October 2006.The RG-33L is a further development of BAESystems OMC's smaller RG-31/32 series.Design and development of the vehiclewas a collaborative effort between BAESystems’ facilities in Benoni, SouthAfrica and in Santa Clara, California.TheRG-33L is equipped with a hydraulicramp, a gunner’s protection kit and arobotic arm. The RG-33L can be config-ured for the personnel carrier, ambu-lance, command and control, convoyescort, EOD and other roles.

US Guardians and Knights The US Army has deployed more than450 M1117 Guardian Armored SecurityVehicles (ASV) and new vehicles arebeing shipped to Iraq almost as soon as

The stretched version of the Textron Marine & Land Systems Armored Security Vehiclesupplied to the Iraqi Civil Intervention Force is capable of carrying up to ten personnel.(Textron Marine & Land Systems)

The US Army has ordered 64 M707 Armored Knights, based on the Textron Marine &Land Systems M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle, for use by artillery CombatObservation and Lasing Teams. (Textron Marine & Land Systems)


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they leave Textron Marine & Land Sys-tem’s New Orleans production facility.The army uses the M1117 as its primaryconvoy protection platform in Iraq. Inmid-2005 Textron Marine & Land Sys-tems received a potential $ 500 millioncontract to build a further 724 M1117s,increasing the number of productionvehicles ordered by the army to 1118,including 43 ASVs for the Iraqi govern-ment.The ASV is derived from the Cadil-lac Gage (bought by Textron) LAV-100/150/200 series of 4 � 4 and 6 � 6vehicles that entered production in 1963;more than 3000 were built, primarily forthe export market. It was selected in 1995to provide US Army military police unitswith a better-protected vehicle than theM1114 up-armoured Humvee. With acrew of four the ASV is fitted with a Textron turret armed with a Mk 19 40 mm automatic grenade launcher andan M2 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. Mod-ular ceramic composite appliqué armourprovides all-round protection against7.62 mm ball ammunition while the crewcompartment, weapon station andammunition storage areas are protectedagainst 12.7 mm armour-piercing rounds.The ASV can withstand a blast of up tofive kg of TNT in the wheel wells and anoverhead 155 mm blast at 15 metres.Tex-tron offers other turret and weapon fits.Most of the vehicles built for the IraqiCivil Intervention Force are in astretched configuration able to accom-modate up to ten personnel.

In mid-October the US Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Commandawarded Textron a contract to produce 64ASVs in the new M707 Armored Knightconfiguration for use by artillery CombatObservation and Lasing Teams (Colt).The total requirement for this programmeis 345 vehicles.The ASV will be providedto prime contractor DRS Technologies,which will integrate the mission equip-ment package consisting of a laser desig-

nator/rangefinder, a thermal imager,blended inertial/ GPS navigation and tar-geting and a digital command and controlsystem.

German Pumas on TrackOver the coming months the GermanArmy will receive five pre-productionPuma tracked IFVs from Projekt Systemund Management (PSM), a 50:50-jointventure between Rheinmetall Landsys-teme and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. SinceMay 2006 the army has been conductingtrials with the systems demonstrator thatwas rolled out on 20 December 2005. Inlate 2007 the German government isexpected to authorise the production of410 Pumas, worth roughly € 3.05 billion,for delivery from 2009 to replace approx-imately 2100 Marder 1s; the type enteredservice in 1971.The Pumas and 350 KMW

Leopard 2A6s will form the army’s heavycombat force.

The Puma carries a driver, the com-mander and gunner (seated side-by-sidein the hull), and six soldiers in the rearcompartment.A remote controlled turretis armed with the new Mauser Mk 30-2/ABM (Air Burst Munition) 30 mmdual-feed cannon and a 5.56 mm MG co-axial machine gun. Two hundred roundsof 30 mm ammunition, a combination ofkinetic energy and ABM rounds, will becarried in the turret bustle along with1000 5.56 mm rounds.

The Puma is designed to be carried bythe Airbus Military A400M strategictransport aircraft. It is claimed to havethe highest level of armour protectionamongst the new generation of infantryfighting vehicles with a baseline weight of31.45 tonnes at Protection Level A (Air-transportable).This will protect it against14.5 mm attack and at least a ten-kg landmine blast. Armour modules can beadded to the hull and turret to provideProtection Level C (Combat) to defeathand-held anti-tank weapons, 30 mmammunition and top-attack bomblets. Inthis configuration the Puma will weighabout 41 tonnes. Anticipating futureupgrades the vehicle’s powerpack andsuspension have been designed to accom-modate a 30% weight growth withouthaving to be modified.

Wild DogWhile opting for maximum armour pro-tection for high-intensity combat the Bun-deswehr is also acquiring lighter wheeledvehicles to protect its forces on overseasmissions. Germany’s BWB procurementagency is evaluating a demonstrator of thenew stretched 4 � 4 Dingo 2 variant, des-ignated the Dingo 2 GFF, that it orderedfrom KMW in December 2005. The company built 147 Dingo 1 All ProtectedVehicles, based on the Mercedes-Benz U-1550L Unimog chassis, for the German

armada INTERNATIONAL 1/2007

The Puma systems demonstrator was formally delivered to the German Army by thePSM consortium on 2 May 2006. (PSM)

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann is building a further 149 Dingo 2 vehicles to join the 55already used by the German Army. The service could buy as many as 1500 Dingo 2sin various configurations. (KWM)


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Army between 2000 and 2003. Respond-ing to feedback from the army KMWbased the Dingo 2 on the longer Mer-cedes-Benz Unimog U-5000 series chas-sis; a 3.25-metre wheelbase version carriesa 3.5-tonne payload and the 3.85-metrevariant carries four tonnes. The Dingo 2can seat eight, two more than the Dingo 1.The Dingo’s slanted blast deflector floor

The Belgian Army became the launchcustomer for the stretched Dingo 2 inDecember 2004 when it placed a € 170million order for 220 vehicles with anoption for another 132. Belgian configu-rations include command, ambulanceand radar command and control vehicles.Deliveries under the initial order will becompleted in 2009. KMW has also deliv-ered 20 Dingo 2s to Austria with addi-tional orders expected.

The Dingo 2 is marketed in the US andto selected US Foreign Military Sales(FMS) customers by Textron Marine &Land Systems. In September 2004 the USDepartment of Defense notified Con-gress of the proposed $ 99 million FMSsale of 103 Dingo 2s to Israel, and in mid-2006 the German Security Council final-ly approved the delivery of a demonstra-tion vehicle.

Boxer Enters RingIn mid-October the Dutch Council ofMinisters approved State Secretary forDefence van der Knaap’s recommenda-tion that 200 Boxer Multi-RoleArmoured Vehicles, worth approximate-ly € 624 million, be bought for the Royal

Netherlands Army. A joint productioncontract for 272 vehicles for Germanyand 200 for the Netherlands wasannounced in mid-December 2006.

The decision ends more than twoyears of uncertainty that the Dutch mightquit the project because of concerns overrising costs following the British Army’swithdrawal from the project in 2003.Therestructured Artec consortium comprisesKraus-Maffei Wegmann (36%) andRheinmetall Landsysteme (14%) fromGermany and Stork (50%) of the Nether-lands. The German Army needs 1000vehicles to replace its tracked M113 andwheeled Fuchs Tpz 1 vehicles, while theRoyal Netherlands Army is seeking 257vehicles to replace wheeled YPRs andtracked M577s.

Since June 2003 twelve Boxer proto-types, four for each of the three nations inthe original development programme,have been involved in the trials and qual-ification programme scheduled to rununtil mid-2006. The four Dutch and fourGerman prototypes are in five missionconfigurations – APC, command post,ambulance, repair and cargo vehicles.Under the initial contract Germany willreceive 125 APCs, 65 command vehicles,

The Czech Republic is the second customer for the Steyr-Daimler-Puch 8 � 8 Pandur IIwith an € 821 million order for 199 vehicles and an option for another 35. (Steyr-Daimler-Puch)

Uncertainty has been removed from the Dutch-German Artec Boxer Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle project following the Dutch decision toorder 200 vehicles. This prototype is configured as a command vehicle for the Royal Netherlands Army. (Artec)

Santa Bàrbara Sistemas is building fivevariants of the Pizarro for the SpanishArmy and the service may also fieldmortar carriers, anti-tank missilecarriers and 105 mm gun-armed tankdestroyers. (SBS)

protects passengers against land mines.The Dingo 2 has a top speed of more than90 km/h, a range of 1000 km and can becarried by a C-130 Hercules aircraft andairlifted by a CH-53 helicopter. The armynow operates 55 Dingo 2s ordered in 2004and KWM is producing a further 149 vehi-cles ordered in 2006. The Dingo 2 has asmall load area at the rear that has thesame level of protection as the centralcrew compartment. On the Dingo 2 GFFconfiguration, the crew compartment isextended to the rear thus providinggreater internal volume and increasingcapacity to nine passengers. The Germandemonstrator is configured as a replace-ment for the army’s tracked M113 seriescommand vehicles. In early 2007 the armyis expected to detail its requirement for upto 1500 vehicles in this category. Specialistvariants are being considered for missionssuch as weapons carrier, forward observa-tion, medical evacuation, flatbed logisticscarrier and radar surveillance.


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72 ambulances and 10 driver trainingvehicles and the Dutch will receive 55command vehicles, 58 ambulances, 41engineers vehicles and 46 cargo vehiclesin two configurations. Artec has carriedout feasibility studies for other versionsincluding infantry fighting, rocketlauncher, mortar carrier, ordnance dis-posal and engineer vehicles.

The Boxer was designed to provide ahigh level of protection against direct fireweapons, land mines and artillery frag-ments. The vehicle’s hull is of steel withan appliqué layer of passive armour.Witha maximum weight of 33 tonnes theBoxer was designed to be carried by theA400M. This influenced the British deci-sion to quit the project as the army shift-ed its requirement towards the lighterFuture Rapid Effects System family ofvehicles. Artec notes that the eight vari-ants now planned for the two partnernations weigh less than 33 tonnes.

Ascod Aims for Export Steyr-Daimler-Puch and Santa BàrbaraSistemas, both now members of GeneralDynamics European Land Combat Systems, developed the tracked Austrian-Spanish Co-operative Development(Ascod) infantry fighting vehicle to meetthe needs of the Austrian and Spanisharmies.

Deliveries of Spain’s initial 123 Pizarros(the Spanish designation) and 21 com-mand vehicles were completed in 2002.Deliveries of a follow-on contract for 170IFVs, five command vehicles, 28 forwardobserver vehicles, eight recovery vehiclesand one combat engineer vehicle began in2005. The service is also seeking mortarcarriers, anti-tank missile carriers and 105mm gun-armed tank destroyers.

In the IFV configuration the Ascod hasa crew of three and carries seven in thetroop compartment.The two-man turret isarmed with a 30 mm dual-feed, gas-oper-ated Mauser Mk 30-2 automatic cannon

and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. Thehull and turret are constructed from all-welded steel armour that defeats 14.5 mmAP rounds over the frontal arc and 7.62mm all around. Additional ballistic pro-tection can be fitted to defeat up to 30 mmAPFDS rounds over the frontal arc and14.5 mm AP ammunition all around.

The Austrian Army received the lastof 112 Ascods, known locally as the Ulan,in 2005 and although it has a requirementfor additional vehicles no funding has yetbeen allocated. Steyr-Daimler-Puch hasdeveloped a proposed Ulan upgrade thatfeatures additional side and bodyarmour, and for export customers inEastern Europe and the Middle East issuggesting fitting the Russian BMP-3 tur-ret on the Ulan 2 chassis.

Pandur II Strikes AgainIn September 2006 Steyr-Daimler-Puchbegan deliveries of the 260 8 � 8 PandurII ordered in 2005 for the PortugueseArmy and Marine Corps. The army willreceive 105 infantry carrier vehicles with12.7 mm pintle-mounted machine gunsand seven with a 12.7 mm remote con-trolled weapon station, 30 IFVs armedwith a 30 mm gun, 31 120 mm mortar car-riers (MC), 16 command post vehicles(CPV), 15 anti-tank guided missile vehi-cles, ten ambulances, nine engineer vehi-cles, seven repair and recovery vehicles,six signal variants and four reconnais-sance vehicles. The marines will receive13 ICVs, two IFVs armed with 40 mmautomatic grenade launchers, three CPVsand two MCs.

Following the Portuguese launch orderfor the Pandur II the Austrian companyscored another success in June 2006 whenthe Czech Republic placed an € 821 mil-lion order for 199 8 � 8s with an optionfor another 35.These will equip one of thearmy’s two manoeuvre brigades leavingthe other operating Warsaw Pact legacytracked vehicles. No fewer than 18 vari-ants will be delivered, with the mostnumerous being 63 IFVs fitted with aRafael RCWS 30 armed with an ATK 30mm Mk 44 cannon, 7.62 mm co-axialmachine gun and a launcher for theSpike-LR anti-tank guided weapon mis-sile system. The first batch of 17 vehicleswill be delivered by the end of 2007.

The Pandur II’s all-welded steel hullprotects against 7.62 mm AP ammunitionthrough a full 360° and can be increasedto withstand attack from 14.5 mm APammunition by the addition of passiveappliqué armour. The 6 � 6 Pandur II isoffered with a range of turrets that can bearmed with weapons as large as a 90 mm


The Nemo, a single-barrel, unmanned version of the Amos 120 mm mortar, chalked upits first international sale in December 2006 with an agreement signed with Sloveniaon the purchase of 135 Patria AMV 8 � 8s. The announcement of the € 278 milliondeal does not specify the number of vehicles equipped with the Nemo. (Patria)

The Army of the Czech Republic will receive 63 Steyr-Daimler-Puch 8 � 8 Pandur IIsfitted with a Rafael RCWS (Remote Controlled Weapon Station) 30 armed with an ATKMk 44 30 mm cannon. (Steyr-Daimler-Puch)

Al Fahd Al Faris

500litres

Introduced in 1998; weapon options span M2 12.6 mmmachine gun, LAV.24, 105 mm gun and even a 120 mmmortar turret.

L: 7.90 metres

W: 2.94 metres

H: 2.16 metres

AMV Hitfist Patria Vehicles

325litres

First delivered to the Finnish Army in 2004 with twin-barrel 120 mm Amos mortar turret and APC config, sales followed toPoland with 30 mm Hitfist turret (seen here) and to Slovenia withsingle-barrel 120 Nemo mortar. Can carry up to 105 mm gun.

L: 7.70 metres

W: 2.80 metres

H: 2.30 metres

Complete Guide Medium-weight Armoured Vehicles

www.armada.ch ©2007 armada

up to105 mm

90 km/h

21,000 kg 294 kWDeutz 10-cyl

1 + 11

30 mm>100 km/h

26,000 kg(max.combat

weight)

405 kWScania

3 + 8

Boxer Arteclitres

Convoluted and protracted gestation. Programme waseventually dropped by Britain, but the vehicle was finallyordered into production for German (272) and Dutch(200) armies.

L: 7.93 metres

W: 2.99 metres

H: 2.37 metres

BTR-80A JSC Arzamaz

300litres

Based on the 1980s BTR-80 and introduced for the exportmarket in the mid-1990s the «A» has a KBP 2A72 30 mmturret.

L: 7.70 metres

W: 2.95 metres

H: 2.95 metres

40 mm glor MG3

103 km/h

33,000 kg 530 kW 3 + 8

30 mm+ 7.62

90 km/h

14,550 kg 191 kWKamaz 7403

2 + 8

T2 Stalker Minotor

undis-closed

Stealthy design; its first public appearance was at Idex in2001. Heavily armed with 30 mm cannon plus retractableKBM Igla and KBP Shturm launchers.

L: 7.77 metres

W: 3.39 metres

H: 2.51 metres

Pandur II 6 �� 6 Steyr-Daimler-Puch

295litres

It has been totally overhauled mechanically and electroni-cally, the 6 x 6 II can carry a 90 mm turret as maximumcalibre.

L: 6.45 metres

W: 2.67 metres

H: 2.06 metres

30 + 7.62+ missiles

95 km/h

27,500 kg 620 kW 3 + 1

up to 30 mm

100 km/h

15,000 kg 265 or302 kW

2 (basic)

Stryker GDLS

302litres

Basically a Piranha III with improved protection and afoldable weapon station for C-130 compatibility; is tobecome the US Army’s interim cavalry vehicle.

L: 6.98 metres

W: 2.72 metres

H: 2.64 metres

40 mmMk 2

98 km/h

15,000 kg 268 kWCaterpillar

2 + 9

Pandur II 8 �� 8 Steyr-Daimler-Puch

287litres

Typically armed with a 30 mm turret, it has a 105 mm turret capability. It has been exported to Portugal and theCzech Republic.

L: 7.68 metres

W: 2.67 metres

H: 2.06 metres

up to105 mm

100 km/h

20,000 kg 298 kW6-cyl

2 (basic)

BTR-90 JSC Arzamaz

290litres

A ‘blown up’ and more powerful BTR-80, introduced in1995, the BTR-90 features a BMP-2 turret with Konkurs ATmissiles, but it is also available with 100 mm and 30 mmturrets.

L: 8.05 metres

W: 3.05 metres

H: 3.05 metres

Centauro Iveco/Fiat/Oto Melara

300litres

Rare wheeled vehicle with 120 mm turret capability, butused in 105 mm form by Italian Army (order for 50 APCsimminent); 62 VRC-105 sold to Spain in 2002.

L: 7.85 metres

W: 2.95 metres

H: 2.74 metres

30 KPB2A42

100 km/h

20,920 kg 368 kW2B-06-2C

3

105 mm/52

105 km/h

21,000 kg 382 kWIveco TCA

4 + 4

Piranha III 10 �� 10 Mowag

400litres

Could happily live with a 105 mm turret, but is moreappreciated in command post form with a long telescopicradar, as ordered by Sweden.

L: 7.45 metres

W: 2.66 metres

H: variable

105 mmTML

100 km/h

20,000 kg 261 kWDetroit Diesel

6V53TA

4

Terrex ST Kinetics

400litres

Initially known as the AIFV, the Terrex was presented atDSEi in 2001 with what appeared to be its contemporaryrival, the Piranha IV.

L: 6.80 metres

W: 2.70 metres

H: 2.10 metres

Ulan/Pizarro Ascod

860litres

352 have been ordered by Spain and 112 by Austria;potential Eastern and Middle-Eastern customers could beinterested in the BMP-3 turret version.

L: 6.16 metres

W: 3.15 metres

H: 2.63 metres

up to105 mm

120 km/h

25,000 kg 298 kWCaterpillar

C9

2 or 3

30 mmMk 30

70 km/h

28,200 kg 441 kWMTU8V 183 TE22 8 V-90

3 + 8

Piranha IV Mowag

~400litres

Unveiled at DSEI in 2001, the fourth and most ambitiousiteration by its size and capabilities unfortunately treadson nationalistic attitudes on the export market.

L: 7.24 metres

W: 2.20 metres

H: 2.80 metres

up to105 mm

100 km/h

25,000 kg 400 kWMTU 544

2 (basic)

ASV Textron M&LS

undis-closed

Of 1963 Cadillac Gage heritage, the series has receivedsubstantial protection and is still being produced for use inIraq; over 3000 have been exported.

L: 6.07 metres

W: 2.56 metres

H: 2.59 metres

Bionix ST Kinetics

600litres

Introduced in 1997 with Singapore Army: approximately250 Bionix 25 (ATK M242 25 mm cannon) and 250Bionix 40/50 (40 mm grenade launcher and 12.7 gun).

L: 6.30 metres

W: 2.95 metres

H: 2.80 metres

40 mmMk 19

105 km/h

13,408 kg 171 kWCummins6CTA8.3

3 + 1

25 mm70 km/h

17,300 kg 355 kWDetroit Diesel

6V92TA

3

Complete Guide

Puma PSM

1500litres

First of five demonstrators handed over to the Bundeswehrin May 2006. Expected to be ordered (410) into produc-tion by end 2007.

L: 7.33 metres

W: 3.71 metres

H: 3.05 metres

Mk 30-270 km/h

31,000 kg 800 kWMTU 890

3 + 6

BMD-4 KBP

undis-closed

Entered Russian service as Bakhcha-U in early 2006; lightfor airborne operations, but carries a 100 mm gun-launcher; swims in sea state 3.

L: 6.10 metres

W: 3.13 metres

H: 2.25 metres

BMP-3 Kurganmashzavod

undis-closed

Entered service in early 1990s and has been exported tothe UAE, Kuwait and Cyprus. The latest version (2005) isthe BMP–3M, with a KBP 100 mm Universal Turret.

L: 6.72 metres

W: 3.30 metres

H: 2.30 metres

2A70 100 mm

70 km/h

13.600 kg 450 hp2V-06-2

2 + 5

2A70 100 mm

70 km/h

18,900 kg 478 kWUTD-32

3 + 7

CV90 120 Hägglunds

840litres

Typically armed with 30 or 40 mm cannon, but can alsoreceive a Ruag 120 mm cannon (seen here) and 120 mmAmos twin barrel mortar turret.

L: 6.74 metres

W: 2.94 metres

H: 2.57 metres

Fuchs 2 Rheinmetall

300litres

Introduced in early 2000s; particularly renowned for itsNBC detection version; known as the Fox in the US Army.New NBC-protective cabin introduced in 2005.

L: 6.83 metres

W: 2.98 metres

H: 2.42 metres

120 mm70 km/h

25,000 kg 445 kWScania DS14

4 + 3

12.7 or 40 mm

96 km/h

22,000 kg 315 kWMTU 6V 199

TE20

variable

Piranha V Mowag

undis-closed

Development announced late 2006; has views on severalexport programmes, notably the British Fres; has ‘hybriddrive’.

L: 7.30 metres

W: 2.80 metres

H: 2.25 metres

open100 km/h

28,000 kg 441 kW 2 + 10

VBCI Nexter

450litres

First Western vehicle of its kind to have been ordered intoproduction, will enter service as an infantry vehicle (VCI)and a command post (VPC) in 2008.

L: 7.80 metres

W: 2.98 metres

H: 2.25 metres

XA-200 Patria Vehicles

280litres

Exported to Sweden and Norway; extensively used in UNpeacekeeping operations. The XA-202 is the commandpost variant. It has been trialled with the Amos turret.

L: 7.45 metres

W: 2.95 metres

H: 2.60 metres

25 mmDragar

100+km/h

25,000 kg 405 kWRenault

3 + 8

up to 90 mm

95 km/h

22,000 kg 202 kWValmet 6-cyl

2 + 10

16 17 18

19armada INTERNATIONAL 1/2007

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gun while the 8 � 8 vehicle can carry a105 mm gun turret. The Austrian Armyhas a requirement for 129 8 � 8 Pandur IIvehicles to equip two infantry battalionsand 6 � 6 vehicles in specialist configura-tions, but no funding has yet beenannounced.

Six armies operate the original 6 � 6Pandur: Austria (68), Belgium (54),Gabon (1 with up to 20 expected), Kuwait(70),Slovenia (72) and the US Army (50).Kuwaiti variants include an assault gunfitted with a two-person Cockerill 90 mmturret.

Patria AMV on a Roll The Armoured Modular Vehicle fromFinland’s Patria Vehicles continued togain momentum in 2006 with an orderfrom Slovenia for 136 8 � 8 vehicles infour versions for delivery between 2007and 2011.Patria and Slovenian companiesGorenje and Rotis have formed a newjoint-venture company for the project.

The first of two Amos-AMV systemsfor the Finnish Defence Force were rolledout at the Vammala plant in March (theAmos is a twin-barrel 120 mm mortar tur-ret). The remaining 22 vehicles coveredby the € 100 million contract will be deliv-ered by 2009. The AMV’s high payloadenables 84 120 mm rounds and six guidedprojectiles to be carried. The army hasalso received its first XC-360 8 � 8 AMVsconfigured as APCs fitted with the Kongs-berg-supplied Protector 12.7 mm remote-ly operated weapon station. These arepart of a December 2004 € 96 millionorder for 62 AMVs to equip the rapidreaction Pori Brigade and it is planned to be followed by additional AMVs.

Poland became the launch customerfor the AMV in 2002 when it ordered 690vehicles. These included 313 IFVs,125 APCs, 81 command and control vehi-

cles, engineer, ambulance and recovery variants in the 8 � 8 configuration and 326 � 6 vehicles. More than 160 Rosomaks(Wolverine) have been delivered sincethe first was handed over on 8 January2005. Initial production vehicles werebuilt in Finland but production shifted in2005 to Poland’s Wojskowe ZakladyMechaniczne (Military MechanicalWorks) plant.

The Polish IFVs are fitted with an OtoMelara two-person Hitfist turret armedwith an ATK Gun Systems Mk 44 30/40mm Bushmaster II cannon and coaxial7.62 mm machine gun.At 7.1 metres longthe 6 � 6 vehicle is six cm shorter than the8 � 8 variant but with a maximum com-bat weight of 19.5 tonnes it can still carryup to ten personnel.

The Patria AMV is the only candidatebeing evaluated for the South AfricanArmy’s Project Hoefyster (horseshoe) toacquire 264 new 8 � 8 IFVs, but the proj-ect is stalled over funding. Patria is part ofa consortium that includes Denel, Eads,Land Mobility Technologies and BAESystems South Africa-OMC that is pro-

posing the Modular Combat Vehicle, anAMV with the LCT-30/35 turret devel-oped by Denel. The two-person hunter-killer turret is armed with a Mk 44 Bush-master 30 mm chain gun and a coaxial7.62 mm machine gun. As an interimmeasure two firms are proposingupgrades to the army’s 6 � 6 Ratel AFVs.Mechanology is teamed with the KingAbdullah II Design and DevelopmentBureau to offer the Ratel Mk IV, whichwas unveiled at Jordan’s Sofex in June2006. BAE Systems Land Systems OMChas developed the iKlwa upgrade firstshown at Africa Aerospace and Defence2006 in September.

Out of AfricaSouth Africa’s Industrial and AutomotiveDesign (IAD) used the AAD 2006 exhi-bition as a platform to unveil its FV4 290mine-protected vehicle, a variant of theBelgian Sabiex Iguana 4 � 4 vehicle. IADhas stretched the Belgian vehicle to 5.05metres and increased its combat weightto 9.5 tonnes, including a two-tonne pay-

Industrial andAutomotive Design(IAD) stretched thestandard BelgianSabiex Iguana 4 � 4 vehicle seenhere to create theFV4 290, whichoffers a high levelof mine protection.(IndustrialAutomotive Design)

Patria’s 8 � 8 Armoured Modular Vehicle armed with the Denel LCT-30/35 is the only candidate for the South African Army’s ProjectHoefyster; however the project has stalled because of the high cost. (Patria)


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load capacity, enabling the FV4 290 tocarry eight people. The vehicles incorpo-rate flat honeycomb protection on thefloor, which is able to withstand a six-kgmine while the occupants will survive anunder-vehicle eight-kg blast.

Ivema, a sister company of IAD, dis-played its new 4 � 4 Gila mine-protectedAPC at AAD 2006.The standard Gila hasa maximum combat weight of 13,600 kgwith a payload capacity of 3200 kg,enabling it to carry a crew of two plusnine troops.To satisfy the requirements ofexport customers the Gila is available ineither left- or right-handed power-assist-ed steering versions and although theprototype is powered by a Euro III Mer-cedes-Benz engine, several other enginetypes could be fitted. To ease mainte-nance and repair the design relies heavilyon cots components and the engine, gear-box and cooling system are mounted on arail for easy access. According to Ivemathe vehicle’s V-shaped hull allows it toexceed Nato basic specifications for mineprotection levels while the ballistic pro-tection meets Nato Level 1 specifications,but can be upgraded to Level 3. Both theFV4 290 and the Gila are likely to beoffered for the South African Army’sProject Sepula to provide protectedmobility for roles that do not require themore sophisticated IFVs being acquiredunder Project Hoefyster.

Centauro VBC ImminentThe Italian Army was poised to award aproduction contract for a first batch ofabout 50 8 � 8 Centauro Veicoli Blindatida Combattimento (VBC) armouredcombat vehicles as Armada went to press.The VBC will join the 400 105 mm armedCentauro tank destroyers that the Con-sortium Iveco-Oto Melara (CIO) builtfor the army between 1991 and 1996. Afurther 88 vehicles were built for theSpanish Army. In standard configurationthe 25-tonne vehicle is protected againsta 20 mm attack over the frontal arc and

against 12.7 mm attack all around and upto three tonnes of additional passive orreactive armour can be fitted.Oto Melarahas developed a turret armed with a 120mm smoothbore gun to make the Cen-tauro the first wheeled AFV to offer thesame firepower as the latest generationMBTs. Other proposed variants includean air-defence vehicle, an NBC recon-naissance vehicle, armoured vehicle-launched bridge layer and a 155 mm self-propelled gun.

To equip two medium brigades thearmy has a requirement for 249 Centau-ro VBCs in six variants: the baseline VBCIFV fitted with an Oto Melara HitfistPlus two-person turret armed with a 25mm KBA cannon, a 120 mm mortar car-rier, an anti-tank vehicle armed with theRafael Spike long-range missile, a com-mand post, a recovery vehicle and anambulance. In September 2006 approval

was given for an initial order of 45 IFVs,two CP vehicles, a mortar carrier and ananti-tank vehicle. The VBC features aslightly longer and narrower hull than thetank destroyer and is powered by thesame 550-hp engine as the tracked DardoIFV.The Centauro IFV’s crew consists ofa commander, gunner and driver withroom for seven in the rear troop com-partment.The vehicle is able to withstanda six-kg mine blast under any wheel andprotection can be increased to withstandan eight-kg blast.

The Centauro was developed in paral-lel with the Ariete main battle tank andthe Dardo IFV to equip the army’s heavycombat forces and the Puma VeicoloBlindato Leggero (light armoured vehi-cle) family for its rapid deploymentforces. Between 2002 and 2005 196 DardoIFVs equipped with the Hitfist turretwere built as well as single prototypes of


N exter will deliver its 6 � 6 Demonstrateur Propulsion Electrique (DPE) elec-tric drive demonstrator to France’s DGA procurement agency in January2007 to begin twelve months of extensive testing. The DPE is powered by an

MTU V6 100 TWE 20 450-kWdiesel engine coupled to a MagnetMotor 450 kW generator and a 120-kW battery, which provides powerto the motors in each wheel. In theconventional drive mode the DPEis expected to have a top road speedof 105 kph and a range of 750 km,while in the all-electric stealthmode it should have a range of 15km. The results of the evaluationwill inform the French Army’sEB2X wheeled AFV programme.Nexter and Krauss-Maffei Weg-mann are co-operating on thedevelopment of a 20-tonne 6 � 6demonstrator to meet the EB2X requirement and fill the gap between the GermanArmy’s 4 � 4 Dingo 2 and 8 � 8 Boxer vehicles. Some EB2X variants will be armedwith the 40 mm Case Telescoped Weapon System (CTWS) developed by CTA Inter-national, a 50:50 joint venture between Nexter and BAE Systems Land Systems.

French Electric Drive Demonstrator

Preproduction Nexter 8 � 8 VBCIs (Véhicule Blindé de Combat d’Infanterie) are undergoing extensive evaluations before the typeenters service with the French Army in 2008. (Nexter)


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four specialised variants: anti-tank, 120mm mortar, command post and ambu-lance.To complete the equipping of threeheavy brigades, additional orders for 300Dardos, including specialist variants, areexpected.

The standard 23 tonne Dardo IFV car-ries a commander, driver, gunner and sixtroops in the rear. The Hitfist turret isarmed with an Oerlikon KBA 25 mmdual-feed automatic cannon and a coaxi-al 7.62 mm machine gun. All Hitfist tur-rets can be fitted on each side with a sin-gle launcher for the Raytheon Tow3750-metre range, wire-guided anti-tankmissile. The vehicle’s hull and turret areof all-welded aluminium armour to whichan additional layer of ballistic steel is fit-ted. The Dardo is fitted with the sameIveco 8260 V-6 4-stroke turbochargeddiesel engine as the Centauro family.

Oto Melara has developed a Hitfistturret armed with the ATK Gun SystemsMk 44 30/40 mm Bushmaster II cannon.This is the turret selected by Poland forthe IFV variants of its Patria ArmouredModular Vehicles. As a private ventureOto Melara has also developed theT60/70A turret armed with the Oto 60/7060 mm rifled gun that is capable ofdefeating any AFV short of a tank.

Iveco is building 320 6 � 6 Puma APCsable to carry seven personnel and 220 4 � 4 Puma reconnaissance vehicleswhich carry a four-strong crew. Both vari-ants can be fitted with a range of cupolasand turrets. Specialised variants of thePuma include 81 mm mortar carrier, com-mand post, air defence vehicle, anti-tankvehicle and ambulance.

From Tracks to WheelsThe French Army will begin the transi-tion from wheeled to tracked IFVs with

the introduction of the Nexter (formerlyGiat Industries) 8 � 8 Véhicule Blindé deCombat d’Infanterie (VBCI) from 2008to replace its 30-year-old fleet of AMX-10s. Nexter delivered the first prototypeto the service in mid-2005 for technicaltrials and is now developing a prototypefor the export market that will beunveiled in 2007. Nexter believes theVBCI is ideally suited for the BritishArmy’s Fres requirement.

The army intends to order a total of700 VBCIs – 550 IFVs (designatedVéhicule de Combat d’Infanterie) and150 command vehicles (Véhicule de Postede Commandement) – to operate along-side its 406 Nexter Leclerc tanks. The ini-tial 2003 production contact covers 54

IFVs and eleven command vehicles. Sixfurther production contracts are plannedunder the € 3 billion project, with the sec-ond scheduled to be awarded in Novem-ber 2007. The army is also planning tofield specialist variants including anti-tank, mortar, engineer and mobile gunsystems. The gun system is likely to bearmed with a large-calibre cannon fed bya bustle-mounted automatic loader.

The 28-tonne IFV, designed to be car-ried by the A400M aircraft, has a crew ofthree – commander, driver and gunner –and carries eight soldiers. It is fitted withthe company’s Dragar one-man turretarmed with a stabilised M811 25 mmdual-feed cannon and 7.62 mm coaxialmachine gun. Command variants will be

The Pars is part of a modular APC family which, for the US market, GPV (General Purpose Vehicles) designated the 4 � 4 Sentry, 6 � 6 Commander, 8 � 8 Captain, 8 � 8 Colonel and 10 � 10 General. (FNSS)

Oto Melara isoffering the 120mm Hitfact turretmounted on the8 � 8 Centaurotank destroyerfor customersseeking thefirepower of amain battle tankon a wheeledchassis. (OtoMelara)


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armed with an FN Herstal remoteweapon station mounting a 12,7-mmheavy machine gun.The VBCI’s all-weld-ed aluminium hull is fitted with a layer oftitanium armour to protect against medi-um-calibre threats; under contract to theDGA Nexter is developing an add-onarmour package that will be ready inearly 2008 to protect against RPG-7s andsimilar threats.

The Turkish Land Force Commandoperates 2249 Armoured Combat Vehicles(ACV), a derivative of the BAE SystemsM113 APC, delivered between 1992 and2005. These were produced by Turkey’sFNSS Savunma Sistemleri, which is a jointventure between BAE Systems (49%) andthe Turkish Nurol Group (51%).The com-pany is waiting for the Turkish commandto solidify its requirements for wheeledand tracked vehicles.

FNSS produced a further 136 ACVs forthe United Arab Emirates and 211 forMalaysia. While the majority of TurkishIFV variants are fitted with a Nexter Dra-gar turret armed with an M811 25 mm can-non the Malaysian IFVs mount an FNSSone-man Sharpshooter turret armed withthe ATK M242 25 mm Chain Gun.

FNSS has developed the ACV–Stretched, which is similar to the BAESystems Mobile Tactical Vehicle Light, astretched M113. The seven prototypesbuilt to date include vehicles fitted withan M2 Bradley turret modified to carry a30 mm cannon, an anti-tank turret withfour Hellfire missiles and the ThalesSwarm (Stabilised Weapon And Recon-naissance Mount) armed with a 12.7 mmmachine gun. The ACV-SW model is fit-ted with a Russian BMP-3 turret and isable to carry seven troops in the rearcompartment besides a crew of three;commander, gunner and driver.

The 8 � 8 Pars, which is aimed at Turk-ish requirements and the export market,was unveiled at Idex 2005 by FNSS, whois developing it in co-operation with Gen-eral Purpose Vehicles (GPV) of NewHaven, Michigan.

Depending on the vehicle, two to fourpersonnel, including the driver and com-

mander, are seated in a front cockpitwhile ten or twelve troops are seated inthe rear. The GPV Pars family can beconfigured to accommodate one- andtwo-person turrets and remote weaponstations.

The vehicle’s deep V-shaped hulldeflects mine blasts and individual sus-pension components are mounted tobreak free in a blast. The GPV’s all-welded steel hull will defeat 7.62 mm APammunition and higher levels of protec-tion can be provided. Gross vehicleweight ranges from 16.28 tonnes for theSentry to 37 tonnes for the General,depending upon the level of protection.The vehicles are powered by a 350-hpCaterpillar C7 diesel engine with a five-speed automatic electronically-shiftingtransmission. With a top road speed of101 km/h the series can achieve a range ofover 1449 km. The vehicles are alsoamphibious with a maximum swim speedof 5.6 km/h.

FNSS has signed other teamingarrangements in anticipation of TLFCrequirements. In 2001 FNSS signed anagreement with the then Alvis Vehicles(now BAE Systems Land Systems) to co-operate in the production of the 8 � 8Piranha II and, in September 2005, signedan agreement with Oerlikon Contravesto fit the latter’s Skyranger Gun Systemon either the Pars or ACV-S chassis.

CV90 Completes Nordic Conquest

BAE Systems Hägglunds will begin deliv-eries of its tracked Combat Vehicle 90(CV90) to the Netherlands and Denmarkin mid-2007.The Royal Netherlands Armybecame the fifth customer for theSwedish-designed vehicle when it signed a€ 749 million order on 13 December 2004for 184 CV9035s and Denmark becamethe sixth customer the following Decem-ber when it ordered 45 CV9035s.

Development of the CV90 began in1984 to meet the needs of the SwedishArmy – the service has since ordered 549vehicles in several variants of which themost common is the CV9040 IFVequipped with the Bofors 40 mm L/70gun. With a crew of three the 22,800-kgvehicle carries an eight-strong infantrysquad in the troop compartment. Theother Swedish versions are the 40 mm-armed TriAD (Autonomous ArmouredAir Defence) System, the CV90 ForwardObservation Vehicle, the CV90 ForwardCommand Vehicle and the CV90Armoured Recovery Vehicle. On 28 June2006 BAE Systems Hägglunds received aSEK 380 million contract to build twoprototypes equipped with the PatriaHägglunds twin 120 mm Amos(Advanced MOrtar System) by 2011.Thearmy has 40 chassis in storage for thisapplication. Swedish Amos turrets willhave a higher level of ballistic protection,


The 8 x 8 Pars fitted with an FNSS one-person 25 mm Sharpshooter turret as appears onthe Turkish Land Force Command ACV IFVs. FNSS collaborated with GPV in developingthe Pars in the hope that the TLFC will be interested in such a vehicle. (FNSS)

The 44 Wildcat APC, jointly developed for urban operations by Israel Military Industriesand American Truck Company, is fitted with IMI’s Wave stabilised remotely operatedweapon system and Level 3 ballistic protection. (Israel Military Industries)


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e a bustle-mounted automatic loader and amore advanced fire control system thanFinnish systems. The CV90/Amos isexpected to weigh 27.6 tonnes. Since 2001the army has acquired 55 passive armourkits which are fitted to CV90s on interna-tional operations.

The CV9030, armed with an ATK GunSystems 30 mm Bushmaster II ChainGun, was developed for the export market. Norway became the launch cus-tomer when it ordered 104 CV9030Ns in1994 and the army is seeking a further 20to 30 vehicles. Switzerland followed withan order in 2000 for 186 CV9030CH vehicles, armed with the ATK Mk 4430/40 mm cannon. Finland ordered 57vehicles in 2000 (designated theCV9030Fin) also armed with the Mk 44cannon and the company is now deliver-ing a further 45 vehicles which wereordered in December 2004.

as Armada went to press. The platformsleverage work done by BAE Systems forthe Swedish Army’s SplitterskyddadEnhetsPlaftorm (Sep – or Modular

mobility trials to meet the requirementfor a ‘utility vehicle’ within the BritishArmy’s Future Rapid Effects Systems(Fres) project.

The multi-billion Euro Fres project isaimed at the production of 3775 vehiclesto equip the army’s medium brigades andreplace older vehicles within the heavybrigades, although this number is almostcertain to be cut. Under the present planthree vehicle families, with commonalityat the systems level, will be fielded. Witha combat weight of between 25 and 30tonnes the 8 � 8 utility variant will be themost numerous Fres vehicle. A trackedplatform of between 20 and 25 tonnescould be selected for the reconnaissancerole and a 30 to 40-tonne tracked chassiswill be used for direct fire, indirect fire,engineer and other roles.

Unlike the hybrid-electric drive sys-tem fitted to the 6 � 6 and tracked Sepdemonstrators, the two 8 � 8 chassis arefitted with a conventional mechanicaldrive line to reduce risk, as Ministry offi-cials have indicated that the first Fres‘utility vehicles’ could be fielded as earlyas 2010. The design has a baseline weightof 14 tonnes and a combat weight ofabout 24 tonnes.

In 2006 BAE Systems Hägglundsreceived a contract from the Swedish

The AustralianArmy operatesThales AustraliaBushmaster InfantryMobility Vehicles(foreground) andGDLS-CanadaAslav recon-naissance vehicles(background) inIraq. (AustralianDepartment ofDefence)

Singapore Technologies Kinetics developed the 8 � 8 Terrex AV81 in collaborationwith Ireland’s Timoney Technology to contest the growing market for wheeled vehicles.(Singapore Technologies Kinetics)

The updated BAE Systems Hägglunds CV90120-T was displayed for the first time atEurosatory 2006. (BAE Systems Hägglunds)

The CV9035 selected by the Nether-lands is the latest development of theCV90. Armed with a Bushmaster III 35/50mm cannon it offers enhanced firepower,survivability, mobility, ergonomics and anadvanced electronic architecture withimplemented C4I systems.The commanderhas a rotating cupola for maximum visibil-ity and both the commander and gunnerhave fully stabilised day and night sightswith third-generation thermal cameras.

To meet the requirements of theSwedish Army and other customers seek-ing the firepower of a main battle tank ona smaller platform, Hägglunds developedthe CV90120-T armed with a Swiss RuagLand Systems 120 mm smoothbore gunon a CV90 chassis. With a combat weightof about 26 tonnes the vehicle could becarried by the Airbus Military A400Mtransport aircraft.The Swedish Army hasyet to place an order.

Low-risk Fres Demonstrator The Newcastle-upon-Tyne facilities ofBAE Systems Land Systems was inte-grating mission modules into two 8 � 8chassis built by BAE Systems Hägglunds

Armoured Tactical System) project. Themove is intended to provide a vehicle thatcan be ready this year if the British Min-istry of Defence decides to undertake


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e FMV defence materiel administration tobuild two additional tracked and twowheeled Sep demonstrators to add to theone 6 � 6 and two tracked demonstratorsalready running in the development pro-gramme.

Wildcat for Urban Operations The 4 � 4 Wildcat APC was developed byIsrael Military Industries (IMI) andAmerican Truck Company, a subsidiaryof Terex Corporation, to meet the needfor a vehicle that combines high levels ofprotection and manoeuvrability yetappears less menacing than other AFVdesigns now being used in urban opera-tions. IMI believes the vehicle could meetIsrael Defence Force needs following thedecision not to acquire the Stryker.

Based on a new 4 � 4 chassis developedby Tatra, the Czech subsidiary of Terex,the Wildcat has three levels of protection:the basic level protects against 7.62 mmAP attack, Level 2 protects against 14.5mm AP and Level 3 is intended to defeatRPGs and «other equivalent shoulder-launched missiles». The crew hull is onemeter above ground level, providing addi-tional protection against mines and IEDs.IMI claims the Wildcat provides betterballistic protection than the Stryker andequal protection to the M113 APCs thatIMI is upgrading for the IDF. The vehicleweighs 15 tonnes with Level 3 protectionand is able to carry twelve personnel. Theprototype is equipped with IMI’s Wavestabilised remotely operated weapon sta-tion and firing ports.

More BushmastersOn 7 December the Australian govern-ment announced the launch of the firststage of the Enhanced Land Force proj-ect, which will see the formation of twoadditional infantry battalions. For ThalesAustralia this will mean an order for afurther 100 4 � 4 Bushmaster InfantryMobility Vehicles (IMV) which aredesigned to fill the gap between lightinfantry units equipped with soft-skin

vehicles and mechanised battalionsequipped with modernised M113s.

ADI is already building 288 Bushmas-ters for the army and twelve for the RoyalAustralian Air Force in six variants: 158Infantry Mobility Troop Vehicles(IMTV), 73 Infantry Mobility CommandVehicles, 20 Infantry Mobility Direct FireWeapons Vehicles, 20 Infantry MobilityMortar Vehicles, 18 Infantry MobilityAssault Pioneer Vehicles and elevenInfantry Mobility Ambulance Vehicles.Impressed by the performance of theBushmaster in Afghanistan and Iraq theNetherlands selected the Bushmaster tomeet an urgent operational requirementto equip its contingent in Afghanistanand 25 vehicles were diverted from theAustralian order.

The Bushmaster was designed totransport troops and their equipment atspeed over long distances to an area outof direct contact with the enemy wheretroops will dismount for combat opera-tions.The IMTV carries up to ten, togeth-er with rations, ammunition, water andother stores for three days of operations,

as well as sufficient fuel for 1000 km.In itsbaseline configuration the Bushmasterhas a high level of protection which canbe further upgraded with a SurvivabilityEnhancement Kit. Feedback from crewsof the 26 Bushmasters deployed in theWar on Terror has resulted in a number ofimprovements, including the installationof the Kongsberg 7.62 mm remote con-trolled weapon station and the develop-ment of a new prototype cooling systemfor the on-board potable water tank.

Thales Australia is considering devel-oping other variants, including dedicatedweapons carriers, mine-clearance vehiclesand engineer vehicles. In October 2005ADI unveiled the company-funded Cop-perhead Armoured Combat SupportVehicle, which combines the Bushmaster’sfront cab section and mechanicals, includ-ing the Caterpillar/ZF powerpack andindependent suspension system, with aflatbed rear cargo area. The Copperheadis capable of carrying up to five tonnes of cargo and towing a 15-tonne trailer.A 6 � 6 variant is under development thatwill be able to carry up to eleven tonnes.


Singapore Technologies Kinetics’ new Bionix Mk II IFV (right) and command vehicle (centre) are seen here alongside the originalBionix 25 IFV. (Singapore Technologies Kinetics)

The Republic of Korea Army is evaluating the prototypes of the Next Infantry FightingVehicle (NIFV), armed with a 40 mm cannon and twin ATGW launchers, developedby Doosan Infracore Defense Products. (Doosan)


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As with the standard IMV a remote ormanned machine gun can be fitted at thering mount on the roof of the cab.

Oshkosh Truck has signed an agreementwith Thales Australia to allow the Americancompany to market and manufacture theBushmaster in the United States (includingfor its foreign customers). At the request of the United Arab Emirates a Bushmasterwas shipped to the country in mid-2004 forfield trials over a 60-day period.The UnitedArab Emirates is believed to require about50 vehicles in this category.

Singapore’s New Bionix IIOn 23 October 2006 Singapore Technolo-gies Kinetics (ST Kinetics) unveiled thetracked Bionix Mk II (BXII) developedto meet the needs of the SingaporeArmed Forces (SAF). The vehicle is con-figured in two variants: an IFV with atwo-person turret armed with an ATKMk 44 30 mm Bushmaster cannon and acommand version. Developed in a tripar-tite effort between ST Engineering, theDefence Science and Technology Agencyand the Singapore Army, the BXII isdescribed as a key component in the net-working of the SAF. Singapore Technolo-gies Electronics will integrate the Battle-field Management System developed forthe BXII into earlier vehicles and otherplatforms. Survivability of the BXII isenhanced through a modular armourdesign that allows additional protectionto be fitted when required.

The original Bionix was developed tomeet the Singaporean Army requirementfor an IFV to operate in conjunction withits fleet of M113 APCs. The first produc-tion vehicle, a Bionix 25 IFV, was complet-ed in 1997. This version has a two-personturret armed with an ATK M242 25 mmcannon and 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun.A seven-strong infantry squad is carried in

the rear compartment. This was followedinto production by the Bionix 40/50 APC,which has a cupola armed with a CIS 40mm Grenade Launcher and a CIS 50 MG12.7 mm heavy machine gun. The Bionix40/50 has a crew of three and is able tocarry nine in the troop compartment. TheBionix 40/50 has a combat weight of 21,500kg compared to the 23,000 kg of the Bion-ix 25. According to The Military Balancethe SAF acquired 250 of each model. STKinetics also built the Bionix RecoveryVehicle, fitted with a 25-tonne winch and a30-tonne crane, and the Bionix AdvancedVehicle Launched Bridge fitted with anMLC30 bridge that can be launched undercomplete armour protection.

ST Kinetics developed its 8 � 8 TerrexAV81 as a private venture in collabora-tion with Timoney Technology of Ireland.The prototype first displayed in 2001 hassince been joined by two others, includingone developed in conjunction withOtokar and which was exhibited at Idef2005. Neither the Turkish Land ForcesCommand nor the Singapore ArmedForces have released their requirementsfor vehicles of this type.

The prototype has been displayed con-figured as an APC with an overheadremote weapon station armed with a CIS40 mm grenade launcher and 7.62 mmmachine gun. The Terrex can be integratedwith a range of turrets such as the two-per-son, 25 mm cannon turret fitted to itstracked Bionix 25 IFV and a turret armedwith a 105 mm low-recoil gun. In additionto use as an APC and IFV, ST Kinetics hassuggested that specialist variants such ascommand, 120 mm mortar carrier, air-defence and anti-tank missile carriers and155 mm/52-calibre self-propelled gun canbe developed to meet user demands.

In the APC configuration the AV81would carry a commander, driver and aten-strong infantry section. With a maxi-

mum combat weight of 24 tonnes,depending upon the turret and the levelof armour protection, the vehicle isdesigned to be carried by a C-130. Thevehicle’s hull is of all-welded steel con-struction to which additional passivearmour can be added.

South Korea Evaluates NIFVThe Republic of Korea Army is evaluatingthree prototypes of the Next InfantryFighting Vehicle (NIFV) that were rolledout on 17 May 2005 at the Changwon plantof Doosan Infracore Defense Products(previously know as Daewoo Heavy Indus-tries & Machinery). The NIFV is intendedto replace the Daewoo Korean InfantryFighting Vehicle, some 2000 of which werebuilt for the home and export market since1985.The NIFV mounts a stabilised 40 mmL/70 Bofors cannon, a 7.62 mm co-axialmachine gun and twin-launchers for third-generation anti-tank guided missiles arefitted on either side of the turret.

The 26-tonne NIFV carries a three-strong crew and a squad of nine soldiers.An appliqué layer of passive armour overthe vehicle’s aluminium hull is claimed toprovide protection against 30 mm AP pro-jectiles over the frontal arc, 14.5 mm APammunition over the sides and 155 mmshell fragments on the top.The 40 mm can-non has the capability to engage slow-mov-ing helicopters and aircraft. Powered by a750-hp, V-8 diesel the NIFV is reported tohave a top road speed of 70 km/h.

Taiwan is expected to begin produc-tion in 2007 of up to 1400 8 � 8 CM-32Yunpao (Cloud Leopard) IFVs. This isbeing developed locally by a team led bythe Combined Logistics OrdnanceResearch and Development Centre andis based on the earlier 6 � 6 CM-31 pro-totype. The first CM-32 prototypes wereunveiled on 11 January 2005. The 22-tonne vehicle is powered by a 450-hpdiesel engine, which gives a maximumspeed of 100 kph and a range of 800 km.Three of the first four prototypes arearmed with a 25 mm M242 Bushmastercannon. In addition to the IFV the armyis planning to acquire an assault gun

The order book for the BAE Systems Hägglunds Bv 206 S armoured all-terrain vehiclereached 465 in 2006 and orders for hundreds more are expected. (BAE SystemsHägglunds)

The BAE Systems Hägglunds BvS 10All-Terrain Vehicle (Protected) made itsoperational debut with the RoyalMarines in Afghanistan in October2006 and the UK is considering theacquisition of additional vehicles. (UKMinistry of Defence)


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armed with either a 90 mm or 105 mmgun, an APC, a command vehicle, a 120 mm mortar carrier, a missile carrier,an engineer vehicle and an ambulance.

Articulate Following on the sale of more than 11,000articulated tracked Bv 206 all terrainvehicles for some 40 customers, BAE Systems Hägglunds has received ordersfor 465 armoured Bv 206 S (combatweight 7000 kg) ATVs.

Configured as a personnel carrier theBv 206 S can carry four in the front unitand eight in the rear, all protected against7.62 mm ball ammunition and shell splin-ters by all-welded steel armour.

Since 2002 the German Army hasplaced three orders for a total of 192 vehi-cles to equip mountain troops and rapidreaction forces and the service has indicat-ed a total requirement of about 500 vehi-cles. In June 2006 the Swedish FMVordered a further 52 vehicles, worth SEK260 million, with an option for additionalvehicles to add to the 31 already in service.These vehicles will equip the Swedish-led Nordic Battle Group, which is to readyfor EU service from 1 January 2008. TheBv 206 S has also been bought by thearmed forces of France (12), Italy (60) andSpain (50) with more orders anticipated.

The larger BvS 10 (combat weight upto 11,500 kg) was developed to meet theUK Royal Marines’ requirement for an

amphibious All-Terrain Vehicle (Protect-ed). It made its operational debut inAfghanistan in October 2006. The servicereceived 108 Vikings in three variants –the basic troop-carrying vehicle, a com-mand vehicle and a repair and recoveryvehicle – and further orders from themarines and the British Army are possi-ble. The BvS 10 is similar in layout to theBv 206 S with two articulated units butoffers much improved load capacity. Thecompany expects to complete deliveries of74 vehicles – 46 personnel carries, 20 com-mand vehicles, four recovery vehicles andfour ambulances – to the Royal Nether-lands Marine Corps in April 2007.

The BvS 10 is in competition with Sin-gapore Technologies Kinetics’ BroncoAll-Terrain Tracked Carrier (ATTC) fora French Army contract for 191 vehicles,plus options, which is scheduled to bedecided in mid-2007.

The Singapore Armed Forces hasfielded an unspecified number of ATTCsin recent years.The Bronco has a conven-tional layout of two tracked units – thefront accommodates six personnel andthe rear up to ten – coupled by an articu-lated hydraulic joint. STK has demon-strated ambulance, engineer and resup-ply variants and is proposing furthermodels for such roles as command andcontrol. It has also developed a uniquedemonstrator that enables the two unitsto be decoupled for independent opera-tion with the rear unit powered by ahybrid engine-battery. a


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I n a rather strange twist of events, theSingapore Technologies KineticsBronco (alias ATTC) has recently

been put throughits paces in Fin-land, a nationwhose local pro-gramme (lead bySisu at the time)for a similar butsmaller design wasstopped dead in itstracks. Francecould very well bethe Bronco’s export launch customer,hence the French paint job on the onethat is featured here.

Cover

Singapore Technologies Kinetics’ Bronco All-Terrain Tracked Carrier (ATTC) is currentlycompeting for a French Army contract for 191 vehicles, which is scheduled to bedecided in mid-2007. (Singapore Technologies Kinetics)

Complete Guide 07-1 (Medium Armored Vehicles)

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