Bandvagn 202
Photo by K.A. Gallis
Bandvagn 202 (Bv 202) is a tracked, all-terrain vehicle developed by Volvo BM, a subsidiary of Volvo, for the Swedish Army.
The vehicle is formed of two rubber Kegresse track units with a multi-directional pivot in between. The front unit contains the engine and gearbox through which power is delivered to the front and, via a propshaft in the pivot mechanism, the rear tracks. A hydraulic ram on the pivot "bends" the vehicle in the middle to steer it - there is no braking of track units for steering as on conventional tracklaying vehicles. The controls are a conventional steering wheel on the left hand front of the vehicle.
The Bv 202 carries driver and commander in the front unit and 8 troops in the trailer unit. It can be adapted for other, different, applications.
Production started in Arvika in 1964 and ended in 1981. The Bv 202 has since been succeeded by the Hägglunds Bandvagn 206.
The Bv 202 was designed to transport troops and equipment through snow or boglands in the northern parts of Sweden. The last Swedish units to use this vehicle was the Cavalry, who found that the manual gearbox Bv 202 was much quieter than the automatic transmission Bv 206.
The Mk1 Bv 202 is powered by a 91 bhp Volvo B18, the MK2 by the 97bhp B20. It has less ground pressure than a skier and is fully amphibious.
The Bv 202 was used by NATO forces, and replaced the older Swedish Snow Trac ST4 Oversnow Vehicle which was employed by the British Royal Marines under NATO.
Operators
Canada
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
United Kingdom - replaced "ST4 Snow Trac Oversnow Vehicle" and subsequently replaced by Bv 206
