Steyr Daimler-Puch 4KH7FA-AVE Pionier Engineer Tank

     Notes:  This is a combat engineer vehicle based on the chassis of the 4K 7FA-KSPz armored personnel carrier.  The Austrians currently have 19 in service; the only export customer has been Tunisia, who have two of them.  This vehicle has been Austrian service since 1988, and have been subject to constant repairs and refurbishments to keep them in service. It is normally called the AVE or Pionierpanzer in Austrian service.

     In this role, the APC has a raised superstructure in the front two-thirds of the vehicle, upon which is mounted a large digging bucket on the end of an extensible arm.  This bucket may be removed and replaced with an earth drill with a 350mm wide bit, or a crane head.  The digging bucket may dig into up to 2.2 meters of earth at a time; the crane head has a capacity of 8 tons.  Either tool head may be pivoted on its arm up to 234 degrees. The vehicle has a dozer blade on the front (which doubles as a mine plow), and there is also a winch with a capacity of 8 tons and 60 meters of cable; block and tackle is carried which can increase the pull strength to 16 tons.  Four smoke grenade launchers are mounted near the rear of the superstructure, firing over the back of the vehicle.  The Engineer Tank typically carries construction tools, excavation tools, a chainsaw, welding equipment, and an air compressor. The AVE also normally carries a case of C4 plastic explosive and a smaller case of primercord to blast or reduce obstacles that cannot be removed by more conventional means, along with an Engineer Demo Chest. At the front of the hull, above the fenders, are 4-round clusters of smoke grenade launchers. The AVE can carry a trackway or two rolls of fascine, deploying the trackway from an automatic rolling device and the fascines using the boom arm. Two tow bars are normally carries, one on each side

     This vehicle has all-welded steel armor which is relatively thin to keep weight down.  The fire suppression system is unusual in that that it can be set to operate automatically, but can also be operated manually. Power is provided by a Steyr 7FA turbocharged diesel with 321.8 horsepower, coupled to an automatic transmission. Suspension is by torsion bars, but the AVE has an extra set of shock absorbers to help keep large cargos stable.

     The normal means of entry to the crew compartment is via a two-piece hatchway on the left side, but there are also several hatches on the roof, one of which is the commander’s position.  He normally has a heavy machinegun on a pintle mount next to his hatch, but the mount will also take a grenade launcher, GPMG, or light machinegun or SAW.  He also has a WL spotlight on a short pole. There is no air conditioning, but the AVE does have a forced air ventilation system that can cut the heat inside the crew compartment a bit, and it does have a heater.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$115,638

D, A

1.36 tons

19 tons

4

17

Headlights, WL Spotlight (C)

Enclosed

 

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor*

125/88

35/24

500

120

Stnd

T3

HF9  HS4  HR4

 

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

None

None

M-2HB (C)

1050x.50, 25 kg C4, 125 m Primercord

*The front dozer blade has an AV of 9.  Depending on what the blade is raised to (or not raised), the blade gives the Pionier a bonus frontal AV of 9Sp.

 

Steyr Daimler-Puch 4KH7FA-SB 20 Greif

     Notes:  This is a recovery vehicle based on the SK-105 light tank chassis.  It prototype was completed in 1974, with general production taking place in 1976-77. In 1999-2000, production of the Greif began again, both to replace worn out vehicles and to increase the amount of them on hand.  In addition, export sales to Brazil and Botswana were made from this second production lot. (Tunisia has three made from the original production lot, and several South American and West African nations have substantial numbers of Greifs made from this production lot.) Austrian Greifs were designed specifically to recover and repair the SK-105 light tank and the 4KH7FA-series APCs.  Austrian Greifs have been the subject of continual upgrading, depot-level repairing, and refurbishing.

     The vehicle has a large raised superstructure over the front half of the chassis, while the back of the hull has a stand for an engine and transmission assembly for a light armored vehicle, or other spare parts.  On the right front of the superstructure is a crane with a capacity of 8 tons with 42 meters of cable; it can reach 3.9 meters and pivot 234 degrees (it is a variant of the boom on the AVE above).  The main winch leads out through the front of the hull and has a capacity of 20 tons, with 95 meters of cable, or 40 tons with block and tackle.  The Greif has a dozer blade at the front of the hull, normally used to brace the vehicle during winching and lifting operations, though it has a secondary role of digging fighting positions for vehicles and other large items of equipment.  The Grief normally carries a wide selection of tools, including a welding set, an air compressor, and wheeled vehicle, tracked vehicle, excavating, small arms, and heavy ordinance tools. Power is provided by a 321.8-horsepower turbocharged diesel engine, the same as that on the Pionier above. The transmission is automatic, and also the same as on the AVE. 

     At the front of the hull, above the fenders, are 4-round clusters of smoke grenade launchers. The commander is in a raised cupola on the front right portion of the crew compartment, and is armed the same as the AVE above.  The driver is on the front left, with other crewmembers having seats in the crew compartment to the rear of the driver.

     Note that the AVE above is based on the same chassis, and much of the vehicle is similar to the Greif.

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

$117,452

D, A

2.98 tons

19.8 tons

4

17

Headlights, WL Spotlight (C)

Enclosed

 

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

121/85

34/24

500

120

Stnd

T3

HF9  HS4  HR4

 

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

None

None

M-2HB (C)

1500x.50

*The front dozer blade has an AV of 6.  Depending on what the blade is raised to (or not raised), the blade gives the Greif a bonus frontal AV of 6Sp.