LAV-90
Notes: This is a
variant of the MOWAG Piranha
II
8x8 (a version of this vehicle, armed with a 25mm turret, is known to the US as
the LAV-25), is armed with a 90mm TS-90 turret. This is the same turret as found
on the ERC-90. There is another version of this vehicle, using a Cockerill LCTS
90mm turret. Saudi Arabia uses the TS-90 version, and Oman and Qatar use the
Cockerill turret version. This version of the LAV has an increased fuel
capacity, a small hatch on the left side of the hull (primarily for passing
reload ammunition), and a winch with a capacity of 6.8 tons.
As a variant of
the Piranha, the LAV-90 has the wedge-shaped nose and moderately-sloped sides of
the basic chassis, and an 8x8 suspension with front and rear sets of wheels with
independent steering, giving the LAV-90 a surprisingly small turning radius.
For standard road use, the LAV-90 normally uses only the four rear wheels
as drive wheels, switching to 8-wheel drive off road. The LAV-90 is amphibious
with a minimum of preparation (about 2 minutes) and is propelled in the water by
propellers and steered by rudders. Power is provided by the standard LAV II
engine, the Detroit Diesel 6V53T 275-horsepower turbocharged diesel. This is
coupled to an automatic transmission and the driver has a conventional drive
control setup. The driver is located on the front left and has three vision
blocks to his front.
The turrets are
to the rear of the driver, slightly forward of center; in the case of the LCTS
90, it carries a commander and gunner/loader, with the commander having a cupola
with all-around vision blocks and the gunner having a hatch with vision blocks
to his front, left, and rear. The sights and night vision devices are provided
for the gunner, but available to the commander, and he has auxiliary controls
for the autocannon and coax. The turret is armed with a cannon and coaxial
machinegun. One-quarter of the main gun ammunition and one half of the coaxial
machinegun ammunition is stowed in the turret, with the rest being elsewhere in
the vehicle. A cluster of six smoke
grenade launchers is found on each side of the turret. The TS-90 turret has only
a commander and gunner/loader in the turret, and no ready rounds are carried in
the turret as it is too small; 400 rounds of machinegun ammunition are stowed in
the turret. The LAV-90 can take a version of the LAST applique armor kit, though
the resulting vehicle is too heavy and unbalanced for amphibious operations.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
LAV-90 (TS-90 Turret) |
$235,900 |
D, A |
559 kg |
13 tons |
3 |
9 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Enclosed |
With LAST Kit |
$241,734 |
D, A |
554 kg |
14.13 tons |
3 |
9 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Enclosed |
LAV-90 (LCTS 90 Turret) |
$265,836 |
D, A |
516 kg |
13.4 tons |
3 |
9 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Enclosed |
With LAST Kit |
$272,410 |
D, A |
511 kg |
14.53 tons |
3 |
9 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
LAV-90 (TS-90 Turret) |
179/90 |
50/25/5 |
300 |
101 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF6
TS7 TR6
HF6 HS4
HR4 |
With LAST Kit |
168/85 |
47/23 |
300 |
101 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF6
TS7 TR6
HF10Sp HS6Sp
HR5* |
LAV-90 (LCTS 90 Turret) |
174/88 |
49/25/5 |
300 |
101 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF5 TS5
TR5 HF6
HS4 HR4 |
With LAST Kit |
163/83 |
46/23 |
300 |
101 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF5 TS5
TR5
HF10Sp
HS6Sp HR5* |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
LAV-90 (TS-90 Turret) |
+3 |
Fair |
90mm CN 90 F2 gun, MAG |
43x90mm DEFA, 1620x7.62mm |
LAV-90 (LCTS 90 Turret) |
+3 |
Good |
90mm Cockerill Mk 3 gun, MAG |
43x90mm NATO, 1620x7.62mm |
*Hull floor AV is 5; Hull roof AV is 3.
Notes: This is a
tank destroyer version of the LAV-25, used by US Army light divisions and by the
US Marines. It is a standard LAV-25
chassis with a new turret mounting a 105mm NATO-compatible cannon, and the
passenger space taken up with ammunition stowage.
A stronger 300-horsepower engine, transmission, and suspension have been
used to cope with the increased weight.
The gun is equipped with an autoloader. Much of the automotive and
structural details of the LAV-90 above apply to the LAV-105; however, the
LAV-105 has rearranged ammunition stowage to accommodate the larger rounds of
main gun ammunition and autoloader, though half of the M2HB’s ammunition is
stowed in the turret, for use by the commander/gunner. The turret is likewise
different with it being similar to Stryker M1128’s turret in appearance, though
it mounts a heavily-buffered and low-pressure gun.
A cluster of six smoke grenade launchers is found on each side of the turret.
The LAV-105 can take a version of the LAST applique armor kit, though the
resulting vehicle is too heavy and unbalanced for amphibious operations.
Twilight 2000
Notes: The LAV-105 was also used in the Twilight War in limited numbers by the
US Army's 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division,
173rd Airborne Brigade, and by the Canadian military.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
LAV-105 |
$309,150 |
D, A |
714 kg |
14.52 tons |
3 |
9 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Enclosed |
With LAST Kit |
$316,796 |
D, A |
709 kg |
15.65 tons |
3 |
9 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G, C) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
LAV-105 |
175/89 |
49/25/5 |
300 |
111 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF5 TS5
TR5 HF6
HS4 HR4 |
With LAST Kit |
164/84 |
46/23 |
300 |
111 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF5 TS5
TR5
HF10Sp
HS6Sp HR5* |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
LAV-105 |
+4 |
Good |
105mm EX35 Gun, MAG, M-2HB (C) |
30x105mm, 1000x7.62mm, 500x.50 |
*Hull floor AV is 5; Hull roof AV is 3.
LAV III/90 Bobcat I
Notes: As the
LAV III was selected for service with Canada and the US in late 1993 (known to
the Canadians as the Kodiak, and the Americans as the LAV III or LAV 3rd
Generation), the utility of the more robust chassis was immediately realized and
other vehicles based on this chassis were drawn up.
One of these was the fire support and tank destroyer vehicle known as the
Bobcat I to the Canadians and the LAV III/90 FSV to the Americans who tested
them. The Bobcat I is a standard
Kodiak chassis topped with a turret similar to that of the LAV-90, but with
increased armor protection. The
Bobcat I also has a better night vision suite and a laser detection system that
detects targeting lasers and automatically launches smoke grenades in the
direction of the beam. The turret
is that of the British Scorpion-90, but with extra armor and better fire
control.
The gunner and
commander have LCD screens displaying various information about the vehicle’s
state, and the commander and driver also have access to a GPS and tactical
navigation system (TACNAV) along with a digital compass.
The LCD monitors also display the view through the sights and vision
devices to the gunner and commander. The commander has an independent thermal
imager and image intensifier as well as a telescopic day sight, giving him a
hunter/killer capability. The commander also has access to a 6-million
candlepower searchlight with white light and IR channels.
The driver is in his customary place in the front left, and has standard
driving controls. The Bobcat I is
powered by a Caterpillar 3126 turbocharged diesel developing 350 horsepower,
coupled to an automatic transmission.
The 8x8 suspension can be switched to 4x8 (with the rear set of wheels
providing the power) to improve on-road performance; it is also beefed up to
improve off-road performance. All
wheels have antilock brakes and run-flat tires, as well as a traction control
system. In the front of the hull is a winch with a capacity of 6804 kg and 100
meters of cable. The LAV III/90 is not amphibious. The crew is protected by an
automatic fire detection and suppression system for the driver’s compartment,
engine compartment, turret basket, and rear compartment.
The crew and passengers also have the protection of a collective NBC
system, and the Bobcat I has a chemical agent detector and a radiation meter.
The Bobcat I is radiologically protected. Armor is still of steel, though
it is improved over that of the LAV-90. The Bobcat I has a laser/radar warning
receiver to alert the crew when they are being targeted. The crew and troops
have air conditioning.
The armor can be
supplemented by a composite appliqué armor kit called MEXAS which provides
excellent levels of protection without adding undue weight. The Bobcat I can
also be fitted with bar/slat armor around its hull to further foil HE-type
rounds (Including HEAT); this acts as spaced armor with an AV of 1, and from
some angles, gives a sort of “double spaced” effect (the 2D6 normally added to a
hit are not added on, and then the hit is reduced by a further 2D6). The hull
floor is especially strengthened; though it does not have the V-shape of true
MRAPs, the design does to an extent channel away blasts, and troops and
equipment inside suffer 10% less damage.
The bar/slat armor adds 300 kg to the weight of the vehicle and slows it
by 2%, and increases fuel consumption by 2%. The Kodiak is not air-portable with
the bar/slat armor in place. The
ramp is not covered by the bar/slat armor though the area immediately to the
right and left of the ramp are – 25% of all rear-quarter hits will hit the
bar/slat armor. The Bobcat I employs thermal dampening technology which presents
a -2 penalty to those trying to detect it by IR/thermal-based vision devices or
when an IR-guided weapon tries to lock on.
Twilight 2000
Notes: A half a dozen were deployed to both the 82nd and 101st
Airborne Divisions, but those divisions preferred the lighter weight and smaller
size of the earlier generation of LAV-25 based vehicles, and those LAV IIIs were
the only examples of those vehicles deployed by those divisions.
More substantial use was made of the LAV III/90 by US Light Divisions and
the US Marines. These vehicles were placed into service with Canadian units,
primarily in scout squadrons.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Bobcat I |
$438,707 |
D, A |
551 kg |
16.77 tons |
4 |
7 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G, C), Thermal Imaging (C),
WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
With MEXAS |
$442,601 |
D, A |
551 kg |
17.1 tons |
4 |
7 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G, C), Thermal Imaging (C),
WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Bobcat I |
163/82 |
46/23 |
400 |
147 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF7Sp TS6Sp
TR7
HF9Sp
HS6Sp HR5* |
With MEXAS |
162/81 |
46/23 |
400 |
147 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF7Sp TS6Sp
TR7 HF12Cp
HS9Sp HR5* |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+3 |
Good |
90mm Cockerill Mk 3 gun, MAG, MAG (C) |
50x90mm, 2175x7.62mm |
*Hull and Turret Roof AV is 5; Hull Floor AV is 5Sp.
LAV III/105 Bobcat II
Notes: This is
basically the same thing to the LAV-105 that the Bobcat I is to the LAV-90;
being a tank destroyer based on the Kodiak chassis, but armed with a 105mm gun
instead of the 90mm gun of the Bobcat I.
In general, the Bobcat I was meant for fire support, while the Bobcat II
was more of a dedicated tank destroyer.
The turret is a modified form of that used by the M8 Buford AGS; though
this turret has the same blow-out panels as the M8, the modular armor cannot be
fitted to this modified turret.
Instead, the armor on the turret was upgraded directly.
Twilight 2000
Notes: As with the Bobcat I, these vehicles were primarily assigned to Canadian
and US units, but a small number were also purchased by Australia and New
Zealand. Two were assigned to the
82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, but these vehicles were
hated by riggers and loadmasters due to their large size and the extra work
required to land their weight safely by parachute or LAPES.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Bobcat II |
$462,629 |
D, A |
556 kg |
18.73 tons |
4 |
9 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G, C), Thermal Imaging (C),
WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
With MEXAS |
$466,736 |
D, A |
556 kg |
19.06 tons |
4 |
9 |
Passive IR (D, G, C), Image Intensification (G, C), Thermal Imaging (C),
WL/IR Searchlight |
Shielded |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Bobcat II |
150/75 |
41/21 |
400 |
147 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF7Sp TS7Sp
TR7
HF9Sp
HS6Sp HR5* |
With MEXAS |
149/74 |
41/21 |
400 |
147 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF7Sp TS7Sp
TR7 HF12Cp
HS9Sp HR5* |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
+4 |
Good |
105mm EX35 Gun, MAG, MAG (C) |
34x105mm, 2175x7.62mm |