Streaker/LAU-97

     Notes:  This Belgian vehicle is the LAU-97 multiple rocket launcher mounted on the British-made Streaker chassis.  It is in service with Belgium, and Indonesia.  The load area of the Streaker is largely taken up with a 40-round launching box and the associated mounting machinery, though there is still much room for the crew's supplies or extra launching boxes.  Note that the entire cab is protected by the HF armor value from all angles, not just the front.  This particular combination (Streaker and LAU-97) was for a long time presented only as a demonstrator with the Belgian forces, but in the late 1990s, LRP began, with the vehicle used as a lighter alternative to the US-made MLRS.

     The LAU-97 launcher is mounted on an armored turntable, with the rockets facing to the front and with 180-degrees of rotation. The rocket pack may be depressed to 0 degrees or elevated to +55 degrees.  All fire control is done from the enlarged cab, though reloading must be done from the outside.  The entire rocket pack may be replaced, or the tubes may be reloaded one at a time.  Rockets are contained in rectangular box-type launchers. Rockets may be fired one at a time, or ripple fire may be done in 5, 10, 20, or 40-round groups. 40 rockets can be launched in 6 seconds. The LAU-97 launcher is also capable of launching Hydra-70 rockets. The rocket launcher has a degree of enhanced fire control, as well as a downlinked viewer from the launcher, including night vision.  These vision devices are available only to the gunner.  Other equipment includes inertial navigation and a transponder.

     This vehicle has tentatively called the Streaker MRL, though it has no official designation as of yet.

     The UAE uses a variant of this launcher, mounted on the back of a French ACMAT VLRS 4.15 LM 4x4 truck chassis. This was apparently a short-time modification carried out in a short production window by France and Belgium.  A large number of Hydra-70 rockets were reportedly also supplied during and after this time for the launchers. The UAE version is known as the Shajah.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Belgium hurried 24 examples of this vehicle into production in time to use against French forces.  The survivors were subsequently used by the French during their invasion of Holland, Luxembourg, and Germany.

     Merc 2000 Notes: The British are using 8 of these vehicles as an experiment as of 2000.  The Belgians have sold some to an unnamed Middle Eastern country, and to Mexico. 

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

Streaker MRL

$93,174

G, AvG, A

2 tons

10.8 tons

3

8

Thermal Imaging, Image Intensification (G)

Shielded (Cab Only)

Shajah

$82,233

D, A

500 kg

7.5 tons

3

8

Thermal Imaging, Image Intensification (G)

Shielded (Cab Only)

 

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

Streaker MRL

92/64

26/18

320

66

Trtd

T2

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF6  HS6  HR6*

Shajah

115/58

32/16

216

53

Trtd

W(2)

TF2  TS2  TR2  HF6  HS6  HR6**

 

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

Streaker MRL

+2

None

40-Round LAU-97 MRL

160xLAU-97 70mm Rockets

Shajah

+2

None

40-Round LAU-97 MRL

80xLAU-97 Rockets

*The Hull AV applies only to the cab; the rest of the hull is AV1, except for the AV3 underside and cab roof.