LAV-90

     Notes: This is a variant of the MOWAG Piranha II 8x8 (a version of this vehicle, armed with a 25mm turret, is known to the US as the LAV-25), is armed with a 90mm TS-90 turret. This is the same turret as found on the ERC-90. There is another version of this vehicle, using a Cockerill LCTS 90mm turret. Saudi Arabia uses the TS-90 version, and Oman and Qatar use the Cockerill turret version. This version of the LAV has an increased fuel capacity, a small hatch on the left side of the hull (primarily for passing reload ammunition), and a winch with a capacity of 6.8 tons.

     As a variant of the Piranha, the LAV-90 has the wedge-shaped nose and moderately-sloped sides of the basic chassis, and an 8x8 suspension with front and rear sets of wheels with independent steering, giving the LAV-90 a surprisingly small turning radius.  For standard road use, the LAV-90 normally uses only the four rear wheels as drive wheels, switching to 8-wheel drive off road. The LAV-90 is amphibious with a minimum of preparation (about 2 minutes) and is propelled in the water by propellers and steered by rudders. Power is provided by the standard LAV II engine, the Detroit Diesel 6V53T 275-horsepower turbocharged diesel. This is coupled to an automatic transmission and the driver has a conventional drive control setup. The driver is located on the front left and has three vision blocks to his front.

     The turrets are to the rear of the driver, slightly forward of center; in the case of the LCTS 90, it carries a commander and gunner/loader, with the commander having a cupola with all-around vision blocks and the gunner having a hatch with vision blocks to his front, left, and rear. The sights and night vision devices are provided for the gunner, but available to the commander, and he has auxiliary controls for the autocannon and coax. The turret is armed with a cannon and coaxial machinegun. One-quarter of the main gun ammunition and one half of the coaxial machinegun ammunition is stowed in the turret, with the rest being elsewhere in the vehicle.  A cluster of six smoke grenade launchers is found on each side of the turret. The TS-90 turret has only a commander and gunner/loader in the turret, and no ready rounds are carried in the turret as it is too small; 400 rounds of machinegun ammunition are stowed in the turret. The LAV-90 can take a version of the LAST applique armor kit, though the resulting vehicle is too heavy and unbalanced for amphibious operations.

*Hull floor AV is 5; Hull roof AV is 3.

LAV-105

     Notes: This is a tank destroyer version of the LAV-25, used by US Army light divisions and by the US Marines.  It is a standard LAV-25 chassis with a new turret mounting a 105mm NATO-compatible cannon, and the passenger space taken up with ammunition stowage.  A stronger 300-horsepower engine, transmission, and suspension have been used to cope with the increased weight.  The gun is equipped with an autoloader. Much of the automotive and structural details of the LAV-90 above apply to the LAV-105; however, the LAV-105 has rearranged ammunition stowage to accommodate the larger rounds of main gun ammunition and autoloader, though half of the M2HB’s ammunition is stowed in the turret, for use by the commander/gunner. The turret is likewise different with it being similar to Stryker M1128’s turret in appearance, though it mounts a heavily-buffered and low-pressure gun. A cluster of six smoke grenade launchers is found on each side of the turret. The LAV-105 can take a version of the LAST applique armor kit, though the resulting vehicle is too heavy and unbalanced for amphibious operations.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The LAV-105 was also used in the Twilight War in limited numbers by the US Army's 82^nd Airborne Division, 101^st Airborne Division, 173^rd Airborne Brigade, and by the Canadian military.

*Hull floor AV is 5; Hull roof AV is 3.

LAV III/90 Bobcat I

     Notes: As the LAV III was selected for service with Canada and the US in late 1993 (known to the Canadians as the Kodiak, and the Americans as the LAV III or LAV 3^rd Generation), the utility of the more robust chassis was immediately realized and other vehicles based on this chassis were drawn up.  One of these was the fire support and tank destroyer vehicle known as the Bobcat I to the Canadians and the LAV III/90 FSV to the Americans who tested them.  The Bobcat I is a standard Kodiak chassis topped with a turret similar to that of the LAV-90, but with increased armor protection.  The Bobcat I also has a better night vision suite and a laser detection system that detects targeting lasers and automatically launches smoke grenades in the direction of the beam.  The turret is that of the British Scorpion-90, but with extra armor and better fire control.

     The gunner and commander have LCD screens displaying various information about the vehicle’s state, and the commander and driver also have access to a GPS and tactical navigation system (TACNAV) along with a digital compass.  The LCD monitors also display the view through the sights and vision devices to the gunner and commander. The commander has an independent thermal imager and image intensifier as well as a telescopic day sight, giving him a hunter/killer capability. The commander also has access to a 6-million candlepower searchlight with white light and IR channels.  The driver is in his customary place in the front left, and has standard driving controls.  The Bobcat I is powered by a Caterpillar 3126 turbocharged diesel developing 350 horsepower, coupled to an automatic transmission.  The 8x8 suspension can be switched to 4x8 (with the rear set of wheels providing the power) to improve on-road performance; it is also beefed up to improve off-road performance.  All wheels have antilock brakes and run-flat tires, as well as a traction control system. In the front of the hull is a winch with a capacity of 6804 kg and 100 meters of cable. The LAV III/90 is not amphibious. The crew is protected by an automatic fire detection and suppression system for the driver’s compartment, engine compartment, turret basket, and rear compartment.  The crew and passengers also have the protection of a collective NBC system, and the Bobcat I has a chemical agent detector and a radiation meter.  The Bobcat I is radiologically protected. Armor is still of steel, though it is improved over that of the LAV-90. The Bobcat I has a laser/radar warning receiver to alert the crew when they are being targeted. The crew and troops have air conditioning.

     The armor can be supplemented by a composite appliqué armor kit called MEXAS which provides excellent levels of protection without adding undue weight. The Bobcat I can also be fitted with bar/slat armor around its hull to further foil HE-type rounds (Including HEAT); this acts as spaced armor with an AV of 1, and from some angles, gives a sort of “double spaced” effect (the 2D6 normally added to a hit are not added on, and then the hit is reduced by a further 2D6). The hull floor is especially strengthened; though it does not have the V-shape of true MRAPs, the design does to an extent channel away blasts, and troops and equipment inside suffer 10% less damage.  The bar/slat armor adds 300 kg to the weight of the vehicle and slows it by 2%, and increases fuel consumption by 2%. The Kodiak is not air-portable with the bar/slat armor in place.  The ramp is not covered by the bar/slat armor though the area immediately to the right and left of the ramp are – 25% of all rear-quarter hits will hit the bar/slat armor. The Bobcat I employs thermal dampening technology which presents a -2 penalty to those trying to detect it by IR/thermal-based vision devices or when an IR-guided weapon tries to lock on.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: A half a dozen were deployed to both the 82^nd and 101^st Airborne Divisions, but those divisions preferred the lighter weight and smaller size of the earlier generation of LAV-25 based vehicles, and those LAV IIIs were the only examples of those vehicles deployed by those divisions.  More substantial use was made of the LAV III/90 by US Light Divisions and the US Marines. These vehicles were placed into service with Canadian units, primarily in scout squadrons. 

*Hull and Turret Roof AV is 5; Hull Floor AV is 5Sp.

LAV III/105 Bobcat II

     Notes: This is basically the same thing to the LAV-105 that the Bobcat I is to the LAV-90; being a tank destroyer based on the Kodiak chassis, but armed with a 105mm gun instead of the 90mm gun of the Bobcat I.  In general, the Bobcat I was meant for fire support, while the Bobcat II was more of a dedicated tank destroyer.  The turret is a modified form of that used by the M8 Buford AGS; though this turret has the same blow-out panels as the M8, the modular armor cannot be fitted to this modified turret.  Instead, the armor on the turret was upgraded directly.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: As with the Bobcat I, these vehicles were primarily assigned to Canadian and US units, but a small number were also purchased by Australia and New Zealand.  Two were assigned to the 82^nd and 101^st Airborne Divisions, but these vehicles were hated by riggers and loadmasters due to their large size and the extra work required to land their weight safely by parachute or LAPES.