ASCOD ATGM Vehicle

     Notes:  This is the ASCOD IFV chassis with the turret replaced by a twin armored mount for TOW missiles, similar in concept to that of the M901 ITV, though not in design.  The missiles are reloaded through a hatch on the rear deck.  The vehicle gives a decent amount of protection to its crew and good mobility.  The engines are equipped as per the countries’ national variants.

     The Spanish Pizarro-based version uses a 600-horsepower MTU 8V-183-TEE22 supercharged diesel. It is equipped with a Sapa Placancia SG 850 automatic transmission, which can be switched by the driver to manual transmission if necessary.  Suspension is by torsion bar with rotary dampers at the ends. The Pizarro also has lugs for SABBLIR ERA at the lower half of the glacis, at the lower sides of the turret sides, and on the hull sides.  The vehicle has a laser warning system, which alerts the crew that the vehicle is being lased by ATGM or aircraft lasers or vehicle rangefinders or designation beams: A detection triggers two smoke grenades, the some of which has a prismatic component to block the lasers.  The Pizarro is also equipped with an optical chemical sniffer. The system is aimed by the Indra Mk-10, which gives the Pizarro-based ATGM vehicle a full solution digital computer, day channel, thermal channel and laser rangefinder.  The gunner interfaces the Mk-10 through an LCD screen, and essentially designates targets while the Mk-10 does the final aiming and firing. The Pizarro-based ATGM vehicle has an NBC overpressure system with a collective NBC backup.

     The Austrian Ulan-based version uses a more powerful (but also physically larger) MTU 8V-199-TE22 engine which develops 720 horsepower. The Ulan-based version has an NBC overpressure system with a collective NBC backup. The vehicle is equipped with the Kollsman Day/Night Range Sight (DNRS), which integrates a digital ballistic computer, day vision and night vision channels and a laser rangefinder. The Kollsman system also has an automatic target tracker; the gunner lases a target and the turret slews to put the missiles on target. The commander has a cupola with all-around vision blocks; the center front block has a magnification of x2.8; he also has an LCD screen which projects what the gunner is seeing; he does not have his own thermal imager.

     All the versions below have a BMS, GPS, Vehicle State Computer, and mapping computer. The ASCOD hull can take the applique armors of their IFV counterparts, but the turret cannot.

     Twilight 2000 Story: Only Austria and Spain got any of these ASCOD variants, and they got only a few of them at that.

*Belly armor is 6Sp.

**Belly Armor is 8Cp; Roof Armor is 5Sp.