ASLAV
Encyclopedia
The Australian Service Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV), is an Australian version of the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV-25) designed and manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada for the U.S. Marines
. The initial design was the MOWAG
Piranha 8x8
, however the vehicle was re-designed to meet North American requirements and US military standards. It is a highly mobile, eight wheeled amphibious
armoured vehicle used for reconnaissance
and surveillance
operations.
. This was to see how wheeled vehicles would handle Australia
n conditions and what modifications would need to be made.
In 1992, under Phase 2 of ASLAV Program, the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation
acquired 113 of the Australian version of the Canadian manufactured LAV for the Australian Army. By 1997 the 2nd Cavalry Regiment
was fully equipped with the ASLAV.
Phase 3 of the ASLAV acquisition was approved with the follow-on purchase of 144 vehicles with increased levels of local content including the fabrication and assembly of LAV-25 turrets by General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia
. The Wheeled Manoeuvre Systems Program Office of the Defence Materiel Organisation
manages the ASLAV Phase 3 project, as well as the through-life support of in-service ASLAV assets.
These vehicles have been issued to training units, and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment
. The Phase 2 vehicles have been upgraded and the bulk issued to the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
in Brisbane. This equips the Army's two armoured reconnaissance units with ASLAVs.
Phase 3 improvements include a laser range finder, the latest generation thermal imager, 24 V DC electric drive for the turret and improved suspension for the hull.
The heat of northern Australia poses special problems for armoured vehicle crews with interior temperatures reaching 55 °C (131 °F). The ASLAV is fitted with air-conditioning that reduces temperatures at the crew positions to outside levels. Increasing the versatility of the ASLAV even more is the use of non-permanent Mission Role Installation Kits (MRIKs) to generate several variants from a single hull design. This is a unique Australian modification and much of the design and development work was done in Australia.
, Iraq
and Afghanistan
.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. The initial design was the MOWAG
MOWAG
MOWAG is a Swiss company which develops, designs and produces armoured vehicles for military applications in both land-only and amphibious configurations. These vehicles have gross vehicle weights ranging from 9t to 30t. More than 12,000 armoured wheeled vehicles of the type Piranha, Eagle and DURO...
Piranha 8x8
Mowag Piranha
The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG , corporation....
, however the vehicle was re-designed to meet North American requirements and US military standards. It is a highly mobile, eight wheeled amphibious
Amphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle , is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water – just like an amphibian....
armoured vehicle used for reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
operations.
History
In 1990, a year-long evaluation was conducted by A Squadron 2nd Cavalry Regt on 15 light armoured vehicles leased from the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. This was to see how wheeled vehicles would handle Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n conditions and what modifications would need to be made.
In 1992, under Phase 2 of ASLAV Program, the Australian Defence Materiel Organisation
Defence Materiel Organisation
The Defence Materiel Organisation is the Australian Government agency responsible for the acquisition, through-life support and disposal of equipment for the Australian Defence Force...
acquired 113 of the Australian version of the Canadian manufactured LAV for the Australian Army. By 1997 the 2nd Cavalry Regiment
Australian 2nd Cavalry Regiment
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the Australian Army. The second most senior regiment in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, 2 CAV serves in an armoured reconnaissance role and is attached to the 1st Brigade, based in Darwin in the Northern Territory.-History:The regiment was...
was fully equipped with the ASLAV.
Phase 3 of the ASLAV acquisition was approved with the follow-on purchase of 144 vehicles with increased levels of local content including the fabrication and assembly of LAV-25 turrets by General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia
General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia
GDLS-Australia is the cornerstone in the development of an Australian industry to support the growing number of ASLAVs in the Asia Pacific region....
. The Wheeled Manoeuvre Systems Program Office of the Defence Materiel Organisation
Defence Materiel Organisation
The Defence Materiel Organisation is the Australian Government agency responsible for the acquisition, through-life support and disposal of equipment for the Australian Defence Force...
manages the ASLAV Phase 3 project, as well as the through-life support of in-service ASLAV assets.
These vehicles have been issued to training units, and the 2nd Cavalry Regiment
Australian 2nd Cavalry Regiment
The 2nd Cavalry Regiment is a cavalry regiment of the Australian Army. The second most senior regiment in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps, 2 CAV serves in an armoured reconnaissance role and is attached to the 1st Brigade, based in Darwin in the Northern Territory.-History:The regiment was...
. The Phase 2 vehicles have been upgraded and the bulk issued to the 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment
The 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment is a regiment of the Australian Army and forms part of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. The regiment was formed in 1952 though sentimentally traces its lineage to 1860...
in Brisbane. This equips the Army's two armoured reconnaissance units with ASLAVs.
Design
The ASLAV has an eight wheeled configuration (capable of either four or eight wheel drive), is amphibious and has a range of 600 km with a top road speed of 120 km/h. The vehicle has excellent battlefield mobility, as all wheels are equipped with a solid-core secondary run-flat tyre next to the hub, allowing the vehicle to function even with eight flat tyres.Phase 3 improvements include a laser range finder, the latest generation thermal imager, 24 V DC electric drive for the turret and improved suspension for the hull.
The heat of northern Australia poses special problems for armoured vehicle crews with interior temperatures reaching 55 °C (131 °F). The ASLAV is fitted with air-conditioning that reduces temperatures at the crew positions to outside levels. Increasing the versatility of the ASLAV even more is the use of non-permanent Mission Role Installation Kits (MRIKs) to generate several variants from a single hull design. This is a unique Australian modification and much of the design and development work was done in Australia.
Operational service
ASLAVs have seen operational service with the Australian Army in East TimorEast Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Variants
By using the abovementioned MRIKs and the three different hull types of the ASLAV the Australian Army has at their disposal, the following variants have been developed:ASLAV Type I
- ASLAV-25 (Reconnaissance) - A three-man reconnaissance vehicle armed with an M242 dual-feed 25 mm Bushmaster cannon and two 7.62 mm FN MAG 58FN MAGThe FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...
machine guns. Similar to the LAV-25.
ASLAV Type II
- ASLAV-PC (Personnel Carrier) - A two man vehicle armed with a .50 BMG.50 BMGThe .50 Browning Machine Gun or 12.7×99mm NATO is a cartridge developed for the Browning .50 caliber machine gun in the late 1910s. Entering service officially in 1921, the round is based on a greatly scaled-up .30-06 cartridge...
M2 machine gun and capable of carrying 7 scout troops. The standard machine gun pintle mount is replaced by a Kongsberg Protector remote weapon station (RWS)Protector M151The M151 PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Station is a remotely-controlled weapons station that can be mounted to vehicles and stationary platforms...
which can accommodate either a 12.7 mm machine gun or a Mk 19 40mm automatic grenade launcherMk 19 grenade launcherThe Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
. Based on the Canadian BisonBison (armoured personnel carrier)The Bison is an armoured personnel carrier based on the 8x8 MOWAG Piranha II platform, and was produced by General Motors Diesel Division in London, Ontario...
.
- ASLAV-C (Command) - A vehicle equipped with enhanced radio installation and radio masts, mapboard, stowage compartments, appropriate seating and annex. Armed with a single .50 caliber BMG M2 machine gun, although vehicles on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have been fitted with the Kongsberg Protector RWS.
- ASLAV-S (Surveillance) - A specialised surveillance vehicle equipped with thermal imager, laser range finder, day television camera and battlefield surveillance radarRadarRadar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
RASITRASITRASIT is a ground-surveillance pulse doppler radar developed by Thomson-CSF , and fielded by several militaries. The original version of RASIT had a range of 30 kilometers and could distinguish between personnel, vehicles, and aircraft. RASIT operates in the I band and has a peak power of two...
or AMSTARMSTARMan-portable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar is a light weight all-weather battlefield radar Doppler radar operating in the J band. It is usually used by Artillery Observers to acquire and engage targets in bad visibility or at night...
on a hydraulic mast. Armed with a single .50 BMG M2 machine gun.
- ASLAV-A (AmbulanceAmbulanceAn ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
) - Equipped with medical equipment and litter stations this ASLAV can carry three lying patients or six sitting patients. Armed with a single .50 BMG M2 machine gun.
ASLAV Type III
- ASLAV-F (Fitter) - Maintenance support vehicle with HIAB 650 crane, crewed by soldiers of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME) for the repair and maintenance of ASLAV vehicles. Armed with a single 7.62 FN MAG 58 machine gun. ASLAV-F vehicles are fitted with the Kongsberg Protector RWS in Afghanistan.
- ASLAV-R (Recovery) - Maintenance support vehicle with recovery winch, also crewed by RAEME soldiers for recovering damaged or bogged vehicles. Armed with a single 7.62 FN MAG 58 machine gun. ASLAV-R vehicles are fitted with the Konnsberg Protector RWS in Afghanistan.