LAV 6 | |
---|---|
Type | Infantry Fighting Vehicle |
Place of origin | Canada |
Service history | |
In service | 2016–present [1] [2] |
Used by | See Operators |
Production history | |
Designer | General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada [1] [2] |
Designed | 2009–2011 [1] |
Manufacturer | General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada, General Dynamics Mission Systems - Canada [1] |
Developed from | LAV III |
Developed into | LAV 700 Desert Viper |
Produced | 2012–2019 (LAV 6), 2020–present (ACSV) [1] [2] |
Variants | See Variants |
Specifications | |
Mass | Basic: 20,638 kilograms (20.638 tonnes), Add-on Armour: 28,576 kilograms (28.576 tonnes) [1] [3] |
Length | 7.827 metres (25 ft 8.1 in) [1] [3] |
Width | 3.250 metres (10 ft 8.0 in) [1] [3] |
Height | 3.266 metres (10 ft 8.6 in) [1] [3] |
Crew | 3 [1] [3] |
Passengers | 8 [1] [3] |
Main armament | 1 x M242 Bushmaster 25 mm chain gun (210rnds) or 1 x RWS C6 GPMG 7.62 mm machine gun (2,200rnds) [1] [3] |
Secondary armament | C6 GPMG [1] [3] |
Engine | Caterpillar C9 Turbo-charged six-cylinder Diesel [1] [3] 450 hp |
Power/weight | 15.7 hp/t [1] [2] |
Suspension | Independent Hydropneumatic [1] |
Fuel capacity | 414 litres (91 imperial gallons; 109 US gallons) [3] |
Operational range | Road: 600 km (370 mi) Cross country: 450 km (280 mi) [1] [3] |
Maximum speed | 100 km/h (62 mph), Offroad: 40 km/h (25 mph) [1] [3] |
The LAV 6, sometimes written as LAV 6.0 or LAV VI, is the fourth generation of LAV, and is based on the LAV III. The first vehicles were delivered in 2013 and after testing entered service in 2016. [1] [2] [4] The Canadian Army plans to replace its entire LAV fleet of various LAV II and LAV III variants with the LAV 6. The vehicle is being acquired in two main variants: a fighting vehicle equipped with the 25mm cannon seen on the LAV II and LAV III, and a support variant labelled the Armoured Combat Support Vehicle (ACSV).
In July 2009, the Canadian Department of National Defence announced that $5 billion would be spent to enhance, replace and repair the Army's armoured vehicles. Part of the spending would be used to replace and repair damaged LAV III's due to wear and tear from operations in Afghanistan. As many as one third of the Army's light armoured vehicles were out of service. [5] The LAV III's would be upgraded with improved protection and automotive components. [6]
The Canadian Armed Forces lost over 34 vehicles and 359 were damaged during the mission in Afghanistan. The Canadian Army lost 13 LAVs and more than 159 were damaged by roadside bombs or enemy fire. [7] Of the $5 billion announced, approximately 20% of it was intended to be used to upgrade LAV III models. The upgrade extended the LAV III life span to 2035. The remaining $4 billion was to be spent on a "new family of land combat vehicles". [8]
The Department of National Defence considered the purchase of a Close Combat Vehicle, meant to accompany the Leopard 2 and to support the LAV III in combat. The CV90, the Puma (IFV) and the Véhicule blindé de combat d'infanterie were the most likely candidates for the role. A contract of 108 with an option for up to 30 more was considered. [9] [10] [11] The success of the upgrade program and budget pressures led to the cancellation of the Close Combat Vehicle replacement program. [12]
In October 2011, the Canadian government announced a $1.1 billion contract to General Dynamics Land Systems to upgrade 550 LAV III combat vehicles. The government said the upgrade was needed to improve protection against mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which have been the cause of a number of Canadian deaths in Afghanistan. The improvements will also extend the service of the vehicles up to 2035 and will boost troop mobility. [13] [14] [15]
The upgrades include a new and more powerful engine, increased armour protection, and improved steering and brake systems. The turret hatches on the LAV III would be made larger and fire control, thermal, day and low-light sights, and data displays would be improved. The weight of the vehicle would increase from 38,000 pounds (17,000 kg) to 55,000 pounds (25,000 kg). [16] [17]
In September 2012, the original contract valued at $1.064 billion to upgrade the 550 LAV III variants (infantry section carrier, command post, observation post and engineer vehicle) to the LAV 6 configuration was modified. The modification added $151 million to upgrade an additional 66 LAV III's to the LAV 6 with a LAV Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (LRSS) fitted. [18]
In February 2017, GDLS – Canada was awarded a $404 million order to work on 141 LAV Operational Requirement Integration Task (LORIT) vehicles. This contract will upgrade the remaining LAV III fleet in the Canadian Army to the LAV 6 configuration. This brings the Canadian Army's LAV III Upgrade (LAVUP) program to a total cost of $1.8 billion. [19]
Final completion and delivery of the Canadian Army's LAV III Upgrade (LAVUP) to upgrade the LAV III to the LAV 6 was expected to be completed by December 2019. [20]
In early 2014 the Conservative government under Stephen Harper prepared the sale of several hundred LAV 6 vehicles to Saudi Arabia for an estimated CAD $10 billion. This was one of the largest manufacturing export deals in modern Canadian history, though it was heavily criticized due to Saudi Arabia's record on human rights abuses and involving in the Yemeni Civil War. [21] The deal, which grew to CAD $15 billion and included 928 LAV 6 vehicles, was ultimately signed in late 2014. [22] The Liberal government under Justin Trudeau finally approved the export license for the vehicles after coming to power in 2015, despite widespread calls from the NDP and human rights groups to cancel the deal. Even after footage appearing online of Canadian LAV vehicles being deployed against the Shiite population in Qatif, the House of Commons committee report found "no conclusive evidence that Canadian-made vehicles were used in human rights violations" according to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. [23] The government also cited costly penalties for breaking the contract as a reason to honor the export commitments. [24] In 2018, Saudi Arabia threatened to reduce its order for LAV 6 vehicles from 928 to only 742 vehicles, after a diplomatic row with the Trudeau government following criticism of the former's human rights abuses, although some analysts believed this threat had more to do with the kingdom's economic difficulties. [25]
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Canadian Government announced that it would be diverting 39 LAV 6 ACSVs to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as military aid from the order of 360 vehicles it had previously made for the Canadian Forces. [26] Canadian officials stated that the vehicles along with spare parts would be delivered during the summer of 2022 and that the Forces would still receive a total order of 360 vehicles in addition to the 39 vehicles given to Ukraine. [27] [28]
In early January 2023 the first ACSVs were spotted near the frontlines in Ukraine, after having begun to arrive since early October 2022, with the vehicles previously having been in rear-area units for training on the vehicles. [29] Ukrainian Media reporting on the vehicles also dubbed the vehicles with a new nickname, the “Super Bison” due to the lineage the ACSV series shares with the older LAV 2 Bison series which filled an almost identical role. [29] As of April 2024, only 1 Super Bison has been confirmed by open source intelligence as destroyed in combat. [30]
LAV 6 series:
LAV 6 ACSV (Armoured Combat Support Vehicle) series (originally known as LAV 6 CSV): [1] [2] [31]
In August 2019, the Government of Canada announced its intention to purchase up to 360 Armoured Combat Support Vehicles (ACSVs), and that negotiations with GDLS - Canada had entered the final stages. Based heavily on the LAV 6 platform, the ACSVs will replace the Bison LAV and the M113 armoured personnel carrier (M113A3 & MTVL) fleets of the Canadian Armed Forces. [33]
In September 2019, Public Services and Procurement Canada on behalf of the Department of National Defence awarded GDLS - Canada a CAD$2 billion contract for 360 ACSVs, initial spare parts, manuals, training, and various vehicle add-on kits. The various add-on kits incorporated in the procurement include: add-on armour, mine blast and enhanced crew protection, laser warning systems, side protection and remote weapons station kits. The Department of National Defence stated that by procuring similar combat support vehicles in the CAF fleet offers the advantages of reduced training and sustainment costs, in addition to the availability of standard spare parts to fix vehicles quickly during critical operations. [34]
The vehicles are expected to support a wide range of operations, including domestic disaster relief and overseas peacekeeping missions. The ACSV will be available in eight variants to provide services such as: ambulances, vehicle recovery, engineering, mobile repair, electronic warfare, troop-carrying, and mobile command posts. [34] Delivery of the first set of vehicles is expected in late 2020, with the last vehicles being delivered in 2025. [33]
In May 2020, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace announced that they had signed a contract worth NOK500 Million (CAD$73.6 Million) with GDLS - Canada for delivery of the newest generation of Protector Remote Weapons Stations (or RWS) to the Canadian Army. The Protector RWS is to be equipped on Canada's fleet of ACSVs. [35] It was subsequently announced on June 1, 2020, that delivery of the first ACSVs was still on schedule for late 2020 and would not be delayed in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. [36]
Competitors (as of 2024) [47]
The Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) is a family of Swedish tracked armoured combat vehicles designed by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), Hägglund & Söner and Bofors during the mid-1980s to early 1990s, before entering service in Sweden in the mid-1990s. The CV90 platform design has continuously evolved from the Mk 0 to the current Mk IV with technological advances and changing battlefield requirements.
The Patria Pasi is a Finnish-made six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier (APC) originally designed for Finnish Defence Forces. The first variant was produced in 1983 and serial production began in 1984. It was designed to operate with ease of use, simple structure and low-cost maintenance. The basic appearance and configuration of the Pasi is similar to most other wheeled APCs. The XA-180 and XA-185 are fully amphibious, while other variants are not.
The Mowag Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss company Mowag.
The Véhicule de l'Avant Blindé or VAB is a French armoured personnel carrier and support vehicle designed and manufactured by Renault Trucks Defense. It entered French service in 1979 and around 5,000 were produced for the French Army as well as for export. It has seen combat in various conflicts in Africa, Asia as well as Europe and has also been exported to more than 15 countries.
The Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) is a family of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) developed in the 1960s and is in service with the British Army and others throughout the world. They are small, highly mobile, air-transportable armoured vehicles, originally designed to replace the Alvis Saladin armoured car.
The LAV II Bison and Coyote are armoured cars, or armoured personnel carriers built by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada for the Canadian Armed Forces. Bison vehicles have been used to a lesser extent by the Australian Army and the US National Guard.
The Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) is an eight-wheeled armoured reconnaissance vehicle of the LAV II family used by the Australian Army. It was built by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, and developed from the U.S. Marine Corps' LAV-25 and Canadian Army's Bison armoured fighting vehicles.
The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company Daimler. It was widely used by regiments in the British Army, as well as the RAF Regiment and Commonwealth countries throughout the period.
The Bionix (BX) is a family of tracked Singaporean armoured fighting vehicles developed by ST Kinetics. Intended to augment the Singapore Army's aging M113 armoured personnel carriers, it is the first indigenous armoured vehicle to be developed in Southeast Asia. The Bionix has been operational with the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) since 1999 in a wide variety of adaptations including the Bionix II, Bionix 25 and Bionix 40/50 variants.
The LAV III is the third generation of the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) family of armored personnel carriers built by General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada (GDLS-C), a London, Ontario, based subsidiary of General Dynamics. It first entered service in 1999, succeeding the LAV II. It is the primary mechanized infantry vehicle of both the Canadian Army and the New Zealand Army. It also forms the basis of the Stryker vehicle used by the U.S. Army and other operators. The Canadian Army is upgrading its LAV IIIs to the LAV 6 standard. Early in its development history it was referred to as the 'Kodiak', but the name was never officially adopted.
The LAV-25 is a member of the LAV II family. It is an eight-wheeled amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicle built by General Dynamics Land Systems and used by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army.
A huge number of M113 armored personnel carrier variants have been created, ranging from infantry carriers to nuclear missile carriers. The M113 armored personnel carrier has become one of the most prolific armored vehicles of the second half of the 20th century, and continues to serve with armies around the world in many roles.
The K808/806 White Tiger wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC) is family of 8x8 and 6x6 armored vehicles. Developed by Hyundai Rotem as a private venture in 2012, the Korean Army declared a plan to acquire 600 6×6 and 8×8 wheeled APCs in order to help build rapid response forces molded after U.S. Stryker combat brigades, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).
The history and development of tanks in the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps can be broken down into smaller categories: their origin during World War I; the interwar period; World War II; the Cold War; and the modern era.
The Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) is a series of armoured vehicles built by General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada (GDLS-C), a London, Ontario-based subsidiary of General Dynamics. It is a license-produced version of the Mowag Piranha. The first generation of LAV was created by Mowag for the Armoured Vehicle General Purpose (AVGP) requirement of the Canadian Army. This was a 6x6 variant of the Piranha I produced by General Motors Diesel in London, Ontario. Since entering service in 1976, it has undergone a number of upgrades. The LAV II introduced the now-familiar 8x8 configuration. The LAV continues to form the backbone of the Canadian Army's combat vehicle fleet. The LAV series of vehicles exist in a number of different variants and are used in a number of different roles such as armoured personnel carriers, engineering vehicles, command posts, ambulances and armoured recovery vehicles.
The M577 command post carrier, also known as the M577 command post vehicle or armored command post vehicle, is a variant of the M113 armored personnel carrier that was developed and produced by the FMC Corporation to function on the battlefield as a mobile command post i.e. a tactical operations centre, usually at the battalion level. In U.S. military service its official designation is Carrier, Command Post, Light Tracked M577.
The LAV II is the second generation of the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) family. The LAV II is an 8×8 vehicle unlike the 6×6 Armoured Vehicle General Purpose, which is a LAV based on the Piranha I. The United States Marine Corps was the first user of the LAV II, which it calls the LAV-25. Canada procured two main variants: the Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle and the Bison armoured utility vehicle. LAV IIs in Australia are known as the ASLAV.
The ACSV G5 G5 is a family of light tracked vehicles designed and manufactured by Flensburger Fahrzeugbau GmbH (FFG) of Germany. Although it is similar in appearance and design to the American M113, and the company manufacturers modernised versions of that vehicle, the PMMC G5 is an all-new ground-up design.
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