Cardoen VTP-1 Orca
Notes: This is a
light wheeled 6x6 APC similar in design to the BTR-152; it is, in fact, almost
identical to an Israeli modification of the BTR-152 called the Shoet Mk II,
though any such affiliation is unofficial.
Israel, however, has been providing assistance to the Chileans since the
late 1970s. The passenger
compartment is open-topped, and there is a door in the rear of the hull and on
either side of the cab. The cab has
overhead cover, and the commander has an overhead hatch with a pintle mount. The
windshield is of bullet-resistant glass and can be covered with an armored
shutter with vision slits in them.
The cab windows likewise can be covered with armored shutters with slits in
them; this, needless to say, severely limits visibility. The hull is of
all-welded steel which offers somewhat better protection than the BTR-152 or the
Shoet Mk II. The engine is under a
conventional hood at the front, and houses the same Detroit Diesel V-53 as on
the Shoet Mk II developing 172 horsepower and coupled to the same automatic
transmission. The Chileans appear
to use this only as a light APC, though a version mounting a quad M-2HB has been
postulated. It’s a very basic APC
that seems to me to be obsolete in today’s world; I don’t know what the Chileans
were thinking, but at least it’s inexpensive.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological* |
$17,847 |
D, A |
800 kg |
9.7 tons |
2+10 |
6 |
Headlights |
Open |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor** |
191/47 |
44/11 |
200 |
70 |
Stnd |
W(3) |
HF4
HS3 HR2 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
None |
None |
M-2HB (C) |
1000x.50 |
*The Radiological rating
for the cab is Enclosed.
**The armor rating for the
windshield (25% chance of hitting) is AV 3, unless the armored shutter is
closed.
Cardoen VTP-2
Notes: This
light APC is based on the chassis of a Unimog cross-country truck, fitted with
an armored body. The Chilean Army
has been using them since 1983. The
armor levels come in two versions for the body, 6mm armor or 8mm armor.
The front and sides are moderately sloped. The most common version has a
hatch on the roof for the commander with either a light or heavy machinegun on a
pintle mount; a less common version has a small turret armed with a 20mm
autocannon. The crew and passengers
enter and exit through a door in the rear of the vehicle; an option gives the
VTP-2 a pair of rear doors. The
crew has a large windshield in front of them, and windows to either side of
them. The side windows can be
covered with armored shutters; optionally, the front windshield can have an
armored shutter with vision slits in it. Three firing ports are found on each
side of the troop compartment, and one in the rear to the left of the door; the
two-door option gives a firing port in each rear door.
On the roof on the rear of the deck are two rectangular hatches for the
troops. The engine is a
Mercedes-Benz OM-352 120-horsepower diesel coupled to a manual transmission.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
VTP-2 (6mm Armor, Pintle MG) |
$16,302 |
D, A |
1.2 tons |
7 tons |
2+10 |
4 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
VTP-2 (6mm Armor, Turret) |
$20,553 |
D, A |
1.1 tons |
7.2 tons |
3+9 |
4 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
VTP-2 (8mm Armor, Pintle MG) |
$16,660 |
D, A |
800 kg |
7.8 tons |
2+10 |
6 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
VTP-2 (8mm Armor, Turret) |
$20,911 |
D, A |
700 kg |
8 tons |
3+9 |
6 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
VTP-2 (6mm Armor, Pintle MG) |
141/71 |
33/16 |
150 |
47 |
Stnd |
W(2) |
HF2
HS2 HR2 |
VTP-2 (6mm Armor, Turret) |
137/69 |
32/15 |
150 |
48 |
CiH |
W(2) |
TF2
TS2 TR2
HF2 HS2
HR2 |
VTP-2 (8mm Armor, Pintle MG) |
126/64 |
30/14 |
150 |
52 |
Stnd |
W(2) |
HF3
HS3 HR3* |
VTP-2 (6mm Armor, Turret) |
123/62 |
29/14 |
150 |
54 |
CiH |
W(2) |
TF2
TS2 TR2
HF3 HS3
HR3* |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
VTP-2 (Pintle MG) |
None |
None |
MG-3 (C) or M-2HB (C) |
1600x7.62mm or 1000x.50 |
VTP-2 (Turret) |
+1 |
Basic |
20mm KAA Autocannon |
600x20mm |
*Hull and floor AV are 3.
FAMAE Piranha
Notes: FAMAE
holds a license from MOWAG (now GDLS) to manufacture the Piranha II in its 8x8
form. It is similar to the GDLS
version of the LAV II; Chile operates only a few of them in various
configurations, but they form a decent amount of their armor force.
Other versions have been demonstrated for both the Chilean military and
possible export production.
Currently, Chilean versions use a pintle-mounted machinegun, which is manned by
a separate crewmember. The driver is on the front left, and the commander on the
front right. This is the same
layout for the OHWS, though the gunner is inside the vehicle in the armor
envelope and aims and fires through a downlinked monitor.
Other versions have commander’s and gunner’s hatches on the turret roof.
Other versions demonstrated include an OHWS, a turret with a 20mm or 25mm
autocannon, a 60mm HVWS autocannon turret (taken from Sherman tanks formerly
equipped with that autocannon for Chile), and a 90mm gun turret and a small
dismount team. Perhaps the largest
difference is the lack of propellers and rudders on the Chilean Piranha;
amphibious capability was not requirement for Chilean forces.
However, the FAMAE Piranha remains amphibious, propelled slowly in water
by its wheels. The mounts and mechanisms for the propellers have been replaced
by storage boxes for supplies and equipment.
Armor layout is also slightly different than the LAV II.
Clusters of four smoke grenade launchers are found on the top of the
glacis on either side; they are on the turret on other versions.
Though there is theoretically no reason that the FAMAE Piranha couldn’t
use a variant of the LAST, the Chileans do not use it.
Vehicle |
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
Pintle MG |
$33,824 |
D, A |
1.2 tons |
13 tons |
3+11 |
10 |
Passive IR (D) |
Enclosed |
OHWS |
$48,652 |
D, A |
1.1 tons |
13.3 tons |
3+10 |
10 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification
(G) |
Enclosed |
20mm AC |
$67,787 |
D, A |
1 ton |
13.6 tons |
3+8 |
10 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification
(G) |
Enclosed |
25mm AC |
$75,079 |
D, A |
1 ton |
13.6 tons |
3+8 |
10 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification
(G) |
Enclosed |
60mm AC |
$95,678 |
D, A |
900 kg |
14 tons |
3+7 |
10 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification
(G) |
Enclosed |
90mm Gun |
$211,658 |
D, A |
800 kg |
14.6 tons |
3+5 |
10 |
Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification
(G) |
Enclosed |
Vehicle |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
Pintle MG |
171/86 |
40/20/3 |
300 |
145 |
Stnd |
W(6) |
HF8
HS5 HR4 |
OHWS |
169/85 |
39/20/3 |
300 |
148 |
CiH |
W(6) |
TF2
TS2 TR2
HF8 HS5
HR4 |
20mm AC/25mm AC |
165/83 |
38/19/3 |
300 |
151 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF4
TS4 TR4
HF8 HS5
HR4 |
60mm AC |
159/80 |
37/19/3 |
300 |
156 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF6
TS4 TR4
HF8 HS5
HR4 |
90mm Gun |
152/77 |
36/18/3 |
300 |
163 |
Trtd |
W(6) |
TF6
TS4 TR4
HF8 HS5
HR4 |
Vehicle |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
Pintle MG |
None |
None |
M-2HB |
2000x.50 |
OHWS |
+1 |
Basic |
M-2HB, MAG |
1000x.50, 2000x7.62mm |
20mm AC |
+2 |
Fair |
20mm HS-820, MAG, MAG (C) |
1100x20mm, 2500x7.62mm |
25mm AC |
+2 |
Fair |
25mm M-242 ChainGun, MAG, MAG (C) |
880x25mm, 2500x7.62mm |
60mm AC |
+2 |
Fair |
60mm HVMS, MAG, MAG (C) |
360x60mm, 2500x7.62mm |
90mm Gun |
+2 |
Fair |
90mm Cockerill Gun, MAG, MAG (C) |
30x90mm, 2500x7.62mm |
Makina Multi 163
Notes: This is a
light APC designed for use in internal security and installation patrolling.
It is a commercial truck fitted with an armored body, and the result is a
large, boxy, oblong-nosed vehicle with moderate sloping on the front and no
sloping on the sides and rear. The
vehicle is high and has a high center of gravity, making it susceptible to
rolling. The whole vehicle is somewhat reminiscent of the German UR-416 in
appearance. The vehicle has the appearance of a small armored bus, in a way.
They appear to be used only by Chile, but do not appear in any recent literature
about Chilean armored vehicles.
The driver and
commander are at the front of the vehicle, with windshields that has an armored
shutter to the front, and a small window to the sides.
They have hatches above them, with the commander having a machinegun on a
pintle mount. The troop compartment has a large door in the rear and two large
hatches on the roof at the rear. There are four vision blocks down the dies and
one in the rear door, but no firing ports. The engine is a 180-horsepower
Chrysler truck engine which runs on gasoline and develops 180 horsepower, making
is moderately-powered for its weight.
The transmission is manual. The wheels and suspension are low to the
ground and do not have a hint of any real off-road capability.
The whole vehicle smacks of an improvised APC more for road use and riot
control situations than of a full-fledged APC.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
Radiological |
$11,401 |
G, A |
600 kg |
5 tons |
2+8 |
2 |
Headlights |
Enclosed |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Config |
Susp |
Armor |
327/80 |
64/26 |
114 |
122 |
Stnd |
W(2) |
HF2
HS2 HR2 |
Fire Control |
Stabilization |
Armament |
Ammunition |
None |
None |
MG-3 (C) |
1000x7.62mm |