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