Sedena/Henschel HWK-12/13

     Notes: These vehicles, unique to the Mexican Army, were first deployed in the 1990s. They are HWK-11 APC chassis topped with a turreted heavy ordnance weapon. The area where passengers were carried is largely filled with these turrets and ammunition for the main gun and the machineguns.  These vehicles are normally used for long-range reconnaissance in the Mexican Army, or sometimes for infantry support. 

     A bank of four smoke grenade launchers is found along each side of the glacis. The suspension gave a rather good ride for this type of vehicle, using torsion bars with shock absorbers on the first, second, and fifth roadwheels (out of five) having hydraulic shock absorbers.  The HWK-12 and 13 are not amphibious. The HWK-12 and 13 ride on German-made M-113A2-type tracks and uses an engine of unknown origin (but probably also German), with an estimated output of 280 horsepower.  The transmission is automatic. 

     The HWK-12, also known as the HWK-13-90, is equipped with a light turret mounting a Mecar 90mm low-pressure gun with semiautomatic feed.  The gun has a coaxial machinegun and the turret has a hatch on the roof for the commander, with a pintle-mounted machinegun.  The turret is mounted at the rear of the vehicle and the gunner, loader, driver, and passengers have hatches on the hull roof towards the front.

     The HWK-13, also known as the HWK-13-20, is the same vehicle with a Helio FVT900 turret with a 20mm Oerlikon KAA autocannon.  The chassis gives the vehicle room for scads of ammunition. Though the HWK-13 can carry a fireteam of troops, it is more normally used for infantry support than as an APC and carries key leaders and command personnel or a scout team rather than line troops.

*Belly armor is AV 3.