Volvo Bv 202

     Notes: This vehicle was designed as a vehicle to negotiate difficult terrain, such as deep snow and swamps, and is often known in the West as a "Snowcat."  By 2000 it is primarily used by Swedish, Norwegian, British, and Finnish forces, with a few holdovers still equipping the US Army's 10^th Mountain Division and the two Arctic Brigades.  An unknown number have been donated to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In British and US service it is usually unarmored, but in Swedish, Norwegian, and Finnish service it is usually equipped with appliqué armor.  In this guise, it is usually known as the "Skalman" (armorman), after a Swedish cartoon character, an anthropomorphized turtle.  The layout of the BV 202 is similar to the BV 206, with a drive section in front and a cargo section in the rear with a drive linkage between the two.  There are doors on either side of the drive section, and doors in the rear of the cargo section.  There is a hatch on the roof of the vehicle, which is an NHT equivalent. The engine of the Mk 1 is a 4-cylinder Volvo B18 gasoline engine developing 82.5 horsepower; for the Mk 2, the horsepower is 97, but the B20 engine is basically the same, just uprated. This is coupled with a manual transmission which, Swedish troops noted, much quieter than the automatic transmission of the Bv 206. The Bv 202 has less ground pressure than a fully equipped soldier on skis.

Bv 206

     Notes: Designed by Sweden to succeed the Bv 202, the Bv 206 was widely adopted by countries around the world that needed a robust vehicle for use in difficult terrain (primarily snow and swamp, but also rocky terrain, deep streams, mud, and wreckage) over which a normal vehicle could not operate.  Users range from certain units within armies to disaster relief organizations.  Notable users include the US 10th MID, Norway, Sweden, and search and rescue operations that operate in mountainous and snowy terrain.  Sweden requires that buyers have special paperwork and permits as they are classified as "implements of war."

     The design is similar to the proven Bv 202, with a front section containing the crew, engine, and some of the passengers and cargo; the rear section is the primary load-carrying section.  An articulating joint that allows greater off-road mobility than one long vehicle and also transmits power to the rear section connects the two sections; turn radius is surprisingly tight.  The heater in the Bv 206 is very efficient, able to maintain a comfortable temperature in the front or back in temperatures as cold as –40 degrees Celsius.  The body is made from a fiberglass-reinforced plastic exterior and a PVC interior, with insulation sandwiched between the two. Fuel is contained in two equally-sized tanks; flow may be shifted manually or automatically, with normal flow being from the left tank, then the right. Early production models were powered by a Ford Model 2658E gasoline engine developing 136 horsepower; Mercedes-Benz OM603.950 power current production models, developing 125 horsepower or an optional 132 horsepower. German Bv 206s are equipped with an uprated diesel engine developing 136 horsepower.

     At least 17 variants of the basic vehicle were available by 2000.  There are two doors on either side of the front section and one on either side of the rear section; each section also has a roof hatch, and these sometimes have weapons mounts, though they are not standard.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: By the Twilight War, over 10,000 were in use by 16 countries.

Volvo 4140

     Notes: This is a Swedish truck that is also in use by Malaysia.  It is a 4x4 light truck that comes in two models: the cargo carrier (4140) and the hardtop version (4141).  The 4140 has an all-steel cargo area with a rear drop tailgate and a removable canvas cover.  The hardtop version has a fully enclosed steel body with an aluminum roof.  Both versions are 4x4 vehicles with brakes on all four wheels.  The cab of the 4140 and the body of the 4141 has a heater; optional equipment includes air conditioning, an engine preheater, and an air compressor with 10 meters of hose.  A winch with a capacity of either 2.2 or 3 tons is fitted.  The 4142 is a stretched version of the 4140, and the 4143 is even longer, and of 6x6 configuration. These trucks are powered by Volvo B30 gasoline engines developing 125 horsepower, coupled with a five-speed manual transmission. Towed load for each is 2.5 tons.

Volvo L2204

     Notes: This is a light 6x6 truck of conventional design and construction.  It entered service in 1955, and by 2003, most have been scrapped or sold off to civilians.  The layout is conventional with the engine in front under a large hood, the cab behind that, and the rear cargo area. The sides of the cargo area are removable, as is the canvas cover and the troop seats.  The windshield of the cab is hinged and may be folded forward to increase visibility or allow for a weapon to be fired forward of the vehicle. In the front of the cargo body is a 4-ton capacity winch; it operates from a PTO on the engine, and is led out from the front or rear.  The suspension is 6x6 and incorporates differential locks.  The engine is a Volvo A6 gasoline engine developing 115 horsepower, coupled with a five-speed manual transmission. Note that if the L2204 stays on roads, it can haul 2.25 tons.

Volvo L3304

     Notes: This light reconnaissance vehicle was produced specifically for the Swedish Army.  It is called Pvpjtgbil-9031 by the Swedes.  The L3304 uses many of the automotive and cassis components of the Volvo L3314 light truck (below). The front of the vehicle has a slot for a spare tire; the engine is also at the front, with the two seats for the crew behind the engine (separated by a firewall), and a small space behind the front seats for cargo (usually ammunition). The engine is a Volvo B18A4 gasoline engine developing 68 horsepower. The L3304 is used for basic reconnaissance or, when equipped with a PV-1110 recoilless rifle, a light mobile antitank platform.  The L3304 is similar to other Western Fast Attack-type vehicles.

Volvo L3314/C202

     Notes: The L3314 is a light truck is used by Sweden, Norway, and some 40 other countries, though it was no longer in production by 2000.  Hardtop and pickup versions of this truck exist.  The cab has a heater and defroster, and there is a winch with a capacity of 2.1 tons.  Versions of this truck were armed with a PV-1110 recoilless rifle or a Bantam ATGM. Others were armed with smaller weapons to protect the truck and the convoy it found itself in. The engine of the L3314 is a 75-horsepower Volvo B18A gasoline burner. The L3314 may tow 1 ton.

     The C202 is a later version of the L3314 described below.  This vehicle is heavier, and comes in hardtop and pickup versions.  The pickup has a heater for the front cab, and the hardtop version has a heater for the whole passenger area.  C202s are not normally armed, nor do they have provisions for a weapon mount; Hungarian military models do have a weapon mount, however. The C202 has a more powerful engine than the L3314, and optional equipment includes an air conditioner, engine heater, spotlight, snow tires, and a canvas top.  The vehicle has a winch with a capacity of 2 tons. The engine is a Volvo B20A gasoline engine which develops 82 horsepower, The C202 may tow 1.5 tons.

     In their civilian guise, both the L3314 and the C202 were often marketed as the Laplander.