MOWAG Piranha

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  (Redirected from Mowag Piranha)
Jump to: navigation, search
MOWAG Piranha

Irish Army Piranha IIIH (armed with 12.7 mm HMG), on the streets of Dublin for the 2006 Easter Military Parade.
Type Armoured wheeled vehicle
Place of origin  Switzerland
Specifications
Weight From 9,500 kg[1]
Length 6.25 to 7.45 m[1]
Width 2.5 to 2.66 m[1]
Height 1.8 to 1.98 m[1]
Speed 100 km/h [2]
Swiss Rad Spz 93 during the 2006 Steel Parade in Thun
A Romanian MOWAG Piranha IIIC on the Romanian National Day parade on December 1, at the Triumph Arch in Bucharest.
Irish Piranha IIIH 8x8 on public display

The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG corporation.

Four generations of vehicles have been produced, manufactured by MOWAG or under licence by other companies, and variants are in service with military forces throughout the world.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

This section requires expansion.

[edit] Variants

Piranhas are available in 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, and 10x10 wheel versions. There are several variants within these versions, giving different degrees of armour protection and several kinds of turrets, for use in a variety of roles. Piranha derivatives have been assigned roles as troop transports, command vehicles, fire support vehicles, tank trainers, and police vehicles.

Piranhas are used by the Swiss Army. Swiss-built Piranha derivatives have been exported to Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Spain and Belgium. The Belgian Army has selected the Piranha IIIC 8x8. It has decided to convert to all wheeled vehicles, simultaneously removing the current main battle tank, the Leopard 1, from the inventory. The Piranha is modern and armoured, but lacks the protection, firepower and mobility of a conventional tracked tank. In total 242 vehicles will be delivered, of which 104 optional.[clarification needed]

Piranha derivatives have been manufactured under licence by General Dynamics (Canada), BAE Systems Land Systems (UK), Komatsu (Japan), Cardoen and FAMAE (Chile), and in the USA. The 8x8 US Army Stryker vehicle is derived from the Canadian LAV III which in turn is based on the Piranha, as is the LAV-25 family in service with the USMC. The Australian Defence Force also has its own modified version of the Piranha I 8x8 known as the ASLAV (Australian Light Armoured Vehicle). The ASLAV is operated by two cavalry regiments (the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment) and is used in the armoured reconnaissance and armoured personnel carrier roles.

Some variants, like the United States Marine Corps's Light Armored Vehicle-25 (LAV-25) and its derivatives, are equipped with propellers for amphibious use, though their abilities are limited to sheltered waters.

A new Piranha V version, weighing in between 25 to 30 tons, was announced as the provisional winner of the British Army's FRES program on 8 May 2008.[3]

[edit] Family tree

[edit] Operators

[edit] Gallery

Piranha-derived LAV-25 in USMC service

Prototype of a Mobile Gun System derivative of the Piranha, mounting a 105 mm tank gun

Canadian Forces LAV III

Canadian Piranha-derived, six-wheeled Cougar AVGP, with Scorpion tank turret (76 mm gun)

The LAV-25 has two M240 machine guns and a 25 mm autocannon

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d FAS.org - Piranha overview - Stats
  2. ^ Army-Technology.com - Specifications - Piranha III / LAV III Wheeled Armoured Vehicles
  3. ^ "Drayson: New vehicles will have "vital part to play in the Army of the future"". United Kingdom Ministry of Defense. June 8, 2007. http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/EquipmentAndLogistics/DraysonNewVehiclesWillHavevitalPartToPlayInTheArmyOfTheFuture.htm. Retrieved on July 4 2007. 
  4. ^ http://www.defence.gov.au/dmo/lsd/land112/land112.cfm
  5. ^ http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/armoured/mowag/press12.html
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i http://disarmament.un.org/UN_REGISTER.nsf
  7. ^ http://www.mowag.ch/En/04E_News/2008/20081120E.htm
  8. ^ http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/lf/english/11_6_3.asp
  9. ^ Chilean built 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 in different configurations for the Chilean Army.
  10. ^ Ghana Armed Forces
  11. ^ http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htproc/articles/20081218.aspx
  12. ^ http://www.janes.com/extracts/extract/jaa/jaa_a052.html

[edit] External links

Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mowag Piranha
v • d • e
Modern wheeled infantry fighting vehicles and personnel carriers
4 × 4

ACMAT • AGF Serval • AMZ Dzik • AMZ Tur • ATF Dingo • AXE • Badger ILAV • BPM-97 • BOV • Bushmaster • Casspir • Cheetah MMPV • Cobra • Commando • Chaimite • Cougar H • Duro III • Dozor-B • Eagle • Enok • F2 • Fahd • FNSS Pars • Fennek • FTTS • FMC XR311 • G-Class • Golan • Grizzly • HMMWV • Iveco LMV • Kaya • Komatsu LAV • Land Rover Perentie • Land Rover Wolf • LOV-1 • M1117 Guardian • Mamba • Marine Multi-purpose Vehicle • Marksman • M-ATV • MaxxPro • Millenworks Light Utility Vehicle • Mungo ESK • MWMIK • MXT-MV • MX-8 Barako • OKA • Peugeot P4 • Pinzgauer • PVP • Piranha • Puma • Reva • RG-12 • RG-31 Nyala • RG-32 Scout • RG-33 • RG-34 Iguana • S600 • Sand Cat • Santana Anibal • Saxon • Simba • Sherpa 2 • Storm • T-98 Kombat • Tiuna • Tempest MPV • GAZ-2975 (Tigr) • UR-416 • URO VAMTAC • VAB • VBL • VXB • Vodnik • Wolf
6 × 6

ACMAT • Al-Faris 8-400 • Alvis Saracen • Patria AMV • AMX 10 RC • AVGP Grizzly • BAE Caiman • Buffalo H • Ceradyne Bull • Cougar HE • Duro III • EE-9 Cascavel • EE-11 Urutu • ERC 90 Sagaie • F2 • FNSS Pars • Fuchs • Grizzly HPV • KTO Irbis • Land Rover Perentie • Mastiff PPV • MTVR • Pandur 6x6 • Pindad Panser • Sibmas • Pasi • Pegaso BMR • Pegaso VEC-M1 • Pinzgauer • Piranha • Puma • Ratel • RG-33 • Shoet • WZ551 Type 92 • VAB • LKOV Valuk • Rheinmetall YAK
8 × 8

Al-Fahd • Patria AMV • ASLAV • AV-81 Terrex • Boxer MRAV • BTR-3 • BTR-4 • BTR-80 • BTR-90 • BTR-94 • Centauro VBC • CM-32 • FNSS Pars • KTO Rosomak • KTO Ryś • Lazar BVT • LAV-25 • LAV III • Luchs • LVS • NZLAV • Pandur II 8x8 • Piranha • Rooikat • Saur 1 • Stryker • OT-64 SKOT • Type 96 • VBCI
10 × 10
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOWAG_Piranha"
Personal tools