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.