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LAV-25

The LAV-25 is a member of the LAV II family.[2] It is an eight-wheeled amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicle built by General Dynamics Land Systems and used by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army.

LAV-25
A LAV-25A2 from the U.S. Army's 4-68th Armor Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division
TypeArmored reconnaissance vehicleinfantry fighting vehicle hybrid[1]
Place of originCanada/United States
Service history
In service1983–present
WarsU.S. invasion of Panama
Persian Gulf War
Operation Uphold Democracy
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Production history
DesignerGeneral Motors Diesel (later General Dynamics Land Systems)
ManufacturerGeneral Motors Diesel (later GDLS)
Specifications (standard variant)
Mass12.80 tonnes (12.60 long tons; 14.11 short tons)
Length6.39 m (21 ft 0 in)
Width2.50 m (8 ft 2 in)
Height2.69 m (8 ft 10 in)
Crew3+6

ArmorWelded steel
Main
armament
M242 Bushmaster 25 mm chain gun with 210 rounds of ammunition
Secondary
armament
Two M240 7.62 mm machine guns with 660 rounds of ammunition, one mounted co-axially and one pintle-mounted on the roof
EngineDetroit Diesel 6V53T
300 hp (205 kW)
Power/weight19.5 hp/sh tn (16.0 kW/t)
TransmissionAllison MT653
Suspension8×8 wheeled
Operational
range
660 km (410 mi)
Maximum speed 100 km/h (62 mph)

History

During the 1980s, the U.S. Marine Corps began looking for a light armored vehicle to give their divisions greater mobility.

In April 1981, the DoD opened submissions to the LAV program. Three contractors were downselected.[3]

The Marine Corps evaluated the three LAV submissions. In September 1982, the General Motors submission was selected. GM was awarded initial production contract for 969 LAVs. The Army type classified the 25 mm gun variant as the M1047. The Army sought 2,350 of the 12.7 mm (.50) caliber-armed light squad carrier variant, and at one point was expected to be the LAV's biggest buyer. Congress canceled funds for the LAV-25, causing the Army to drop out of the program. The Marine Corps managed to secure enough funding to buy 758 LAVs in six variants.[3]

The LAV entered service with the Marines in 1983. The Army borrowed at least a dozen LAV-25s for use by the 82nd Airborne Division, 3-73rd Armor for a scout platoon during the Gulf War. These LAV-25s were returned to the Marine Corps after the conflict.[5] The USMC ordered 758 vehicles of all variants. LAVs first saw combat during the Invasion of Panama in 1989 and continued service in the Gulf War, Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan.[6]

The table of organization and equipment for a USMC light-armored reconnaissance battalion includes 56 LAV-25s, 16 LAV-ATs, 12 LAV-Ls, 8 LAV-Ms, 4 LAV-Rs, 4 LAV-C2s, and an unknown number of LAV-MEWSS vehicles.[7]

Replacement

The LAV platform is planned to remain in service with the Marine Corps until 2035.[8] The Marines aim to have prototypes for the LAV's replacement, dubbed the Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV), by 2023. The ARV was initially planned to be a networked family of wheeled vehicles capable of performing various mission sets, with 500 to be procured.[9] However, in April 2021 the Marines revealed they had shifted focus to new capabilities for performing reconnaissance rather than specific types of platforms, and that the LAV-25 replacement may not be a new armored vehicle.[10] Nevertheless, proposals for Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototypes were due in May 2021; requirements were for a vehicle with a tethered unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and an open architecture approach allowing for integration of capabilities including battle management systems and communications suites, weighing less than 18.5 tons and being small enough to fit four on a Ship-to-Shore Connector.[11] Vendors that submitted proposals include General Dynamics Land Systems, Textron, and BAE Systems. The Marine Corps plans to make up to three awards for ARV prototypes for testing and evaluation, then choose up to two to continue into a competitive engineering and manufacturing development phase in 2024, after which a decision will be made as to whether production will be pursued.[12] Textron and GDLS were awarded Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contracts in July 2021 for prototypes to be built and evaluated over the next two years.[13] BAE Systems will also participate in a separate technical study to see if a variant of its Amphibious Combat Vehicle can meet ARV requirements.[14] There are planned to be six ARV variants: command, control, communications and computers-unmanned aerial system (C4/UAS); organic precision fire-mounted; counter-UAS; 30 mm autocannon and ATGM; logistics; and recovery.[15]

Design

Developed from the AVGP family built by General Dynamics Land Systems, the LAV-25 is powered by a 6V53T Detroit Diesel turbo-charged engine, they are four-wheel drive (rear wheels) transferable to Eight-wheel drive. These vehicles are also amphibious, meaning they have the ability to "swim" but are limited to non-surf bodies of water (no oceans). While engaged in amphibious operations, the maximum speed is approximately 12 km/h (7.5 mph) using equipped propellers. The current Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) modifications will hinder or eliminate amphibious operations.

Typical land speeds are approximately 100 km/h (62.5 mph) in either 4- or 8-wheel drive; however, fuel economy decreases in 8-wheel drive. The vehicles operate on diesel fuel. They are equipped with a M242 Bushmaster 25 mm autocannon, two M240 7.62 mm machine guns, and two 4-barrel smoke grenade launchers located on the forward left and right sides of the turret. The crew is three; vehicle commander, gunner, and driver; and four passengers (scouts) with combat gear.

 
The LAV-25's power plant
 
An LAV-25 conducts swim test at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
 
SLEP mods to a LAV-25 show new thermal shrouding over the exhaust
 
The LAV-25's rear passenger compartment

Armor

 
Destroyed LAV-25 during the 1991 Gulf War

The LAV-25 is a lightly armored vehicle. The base model is protected by light gauge high hardness steel armor (MIL-A-46100), varying in nominal thickness from 4.71 mm to 9.71 mm. This level of high-hardness steel armor is intended only to offer protection against small arms rounds such as the common 7.62x39mm M1943 ball used by Kalashnikov rifles such as the AKM, to achieve the lowest possible weight and cost.[16]

Variants

LAV-25

The standard LAV is fitted with a turret with 360° traverse, armed with an M242 25 mm chain gun with 420 rounds of 25 mm ammunition, both M791 APDS-T (Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot-Tracer) and M792 HEI-T (High Explosive Incendiary-Tracer), of which half is ready for use. 150 rounds are ready for use from one stowage bin, 60 from another stowage bin, the other 210 rounds are stowed elsewhere in the vehicle. A coaxial M240C machine gun is mounted alongside the M242, and a pintle-mounted M240B/G machine gun, with 1,320 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, is mounted on the turret roof. The Canadian Army uses an upgraded version of this chassis for its Coyote Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle.

LAV-25A1

The vehicle has been through many changes through the late 1990s. The new modification or SLEP has changed the LAV-25 to the LAV-25A1 standard and has been completely fielded.

LAV-25A2

Airborne operations certification of the LAV-25A2 (2017)
 
A U.S. Air Force C-17 delivers a U.S. Marine Corps LAV-25A2 at 1,500 ft (457 m) over Fort Bragg...
 
and airdropped onto Sicily Drop Zone...
 
where U.S. Army paratroopers prepare the LAV and its weapons for action...
 
then test-fire its weapons as part of OTC's airdrop certification.

Funding has been approved for continued upgrades to the LAV family to bring them up to the LAV-A2 standard. Phase I improvements include increased external and internal ballistic armor upgrades, improved fire suppression equipment, and upgrading the vehicle's suspension to the Generation II standard.[17] Phase II upgrades include replacing the turret hydraulics with an electric drive system and replacing the thermal sight with an improved model incorporating a laser range finder for aircraft.

To reflect the improved significant survivability and capability enhancements occurring today, the LAV is being renamed as the LAV-A2. The LAV-A2 project involved developing and installing an internal and external ballistic protection upgrade package, developed by Armatec Survivability,[18] for the Light Armored Vehicles, an automatic fire suppression system for the interior of the vehicle and a Generation II suspension upgrade to support the added weight of the new armor. The suspension upgrade includes new struts/steering knuckles, torsion bars, shocks and mounts and driveshaft. The three-kit armor system provides the LAV with additional survivability against improvised explosive devices (IED) and direct-fire kinetic energy weapons.

The LAV-25A2 includes the Improved Thermal Sight System (ITSS) developed by Raytheon. The ITSS provides the gunner and commander with thermal images, an eye-safe laser range finder, a fire-control solution and far-target location target grid information.[19]

The new armor will provide protection from 14.5 mm armor-piercing rounds, and include an anti-spall lining on the inside to further protect crew members. It will be similar to the protection found on the U.S. Army's LAV III "Stryker" variant.[20][21]

Tests by the U.S. Army's Operational Test Command (OTC), Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate at Fort Bragg demonstrated that the LAV-25A2 could be airdropped from transport aircraft, a capability of interest to Army airborne units.[22] In October 2018, Alpha Company, 4th Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division was activated and equipped with ex-USMC LAV-25A2s for test and evaluation; the unit was deactivated in September 2020 differing to wait for the creation of the U.S. Army's Mobile Protected Firepower units planned for 2025/2026.[23][24][25]

LAV-25A3

In January 2019, General Dynamics was awarded a $37.2 million contract to upgrade the Marine Corps' LAV fleet. Designated the LAV A3, upgrades include improvements to the powerpack to improve reliability, cooling capacity, diagnostics, and fuel economy, a new drivetrain for improved towing capability, a steering dampener to improve road feel and usability, and a digitized drivers' instrument panel. The initial contract was for 60 hardware kits which are planned for installation by 2021.[26]

Derivatives

Five variants of the LAV-25 were originally envisioned. Only six were initially production ready. Other than the LAV-25, these were:[3]

 
The LAV-AT with the 901A1 TOW-2
  • LAV-AT (Anti-Tank)
LAV fitted with an Emerson 901A1 TOW-2 anti-tank guided missile launcher, the same turret that was fitted on the M901 ITV. It is also armed with a pintle-mounted M240E1 or M240B general-purpose machine gun. It carries a total of 16 TOW missiles and 1,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition.
LAV-ATM (Modernization) replaces the Emerson turret with the modified target acquisition system turret. Improvements include always being in the up position to scan and track while moving and a more reliable digital design.[27] The turret is also unmanned, can fire both wire-guided and radio frequency TOW missiles, has an improved thermal sight, far target location system, new commander/gunner video sight displays, and an electric elevation and azimuth drive system to rotate the system onto target.[28]
  • LAV-M (Mortar)
LAV fitted with opening doors on the top, inside it is fitted with an 81 mm M252 mortar, with 360° traverse, and a pintle-mounted M240E1 machine gun. It carries 99 81 mm mortar shells, and 1,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition.
In June 2021, the Marine Corps selected the UVision Hero-120 loitering munition to be integrated onto the LAV-M, as well as other platforms, under the Organic Precision Fire Mounted (OPF-M) effort to enable them to employ a mid-range, anti-armor weapon system.[29] The multi-canister launcher (MCL) mounted on the LAV-M can hold eight munitions.[30]
  • LAV-R (Recovery)
LAV fitted with a boom crane, and recovery winch, for use in recovery of vehicles, specifically other LAVs. It is armed with a pintle-mounted M240E1/G machine gun, and carries 1,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition.
  • LAV-C2 (Command & Control)
LAV with a raised roof to accommodate several VHF, UHF and HF radios. It is armed with a pintle-mounted M240E1/G machine gun, and carries 1,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition. Generally referred to as the C2 ("C-square" or "C-two").
  • LAV-LOG (Logistics)
LAV for use in a logistics role (e.g., cargo transport).

Development continued with two other variants:

  •  
    The LAV-AD during live-fire exercise
    LAV-AD (Air Defense)
LAV fitted with an electric turret mounting a General Dynamics GAU-12 Equalizer 25 mm (0.984 in) 5-barreled Gatling cannon, and two missile pods each with 4 FIM-92 Stinger missiles for short range air defense duties. Capacity for 990 rounds of 25 mm ammunition, and 16 (including 8 reload rounds) FIM-92 Stinger missiles. A variant using the Mistral missile in place of Stingers was developed for the export market.[31][unreliable source?]
  • LAV-AG (Assault Gun) In 1987, General Motors tested an EX35 105 mm gun on a LAV chassis. In June 1990, the Marine Corps awarded Cadillac Gage Textron a contract to provide three LAVs, designated the LAV-105, with the EX35 gun. This project was canceled in 1991 due to a lack of funds.[3] However, funding was restored by Congress under the stipulation that the Army and Marine Corps integrate the turret and gun of the LAV-105 with the Armored Gun System chassis.[32] Amid concerns about the potential mismatch between the two components, Congress later nixed this requirement.[33] The Marine Corps revived the LAV-105 in 1993. None were ultimately ordered, though the vehicle did perform well during testing.[3]

Other variants:

  • LAV-MEWSS (Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System)
LAV modified for use in an electronic warfare role. Specific details of this variant are classified.
  • LAV-EFSS (Expeditionary Fire Support System)
Proposed replacement for LAV-M, LAV fitted with provisions to use Dragon Fire, a 120 mm recoil mortar system.

An unknown variant is used by at least one civilian law enforcement agency.[34]

Operators

  Saudi Arabia

  United States

See also

References

  1. ^ Michael Green; Greg Stewart (2003). Modern U.S. tanks & AFVs. Zenith Imprint. ISBN 9780760314678. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
  2. ^ Gordon, John; Schaefer, Agnes Gereben; Shlapak, David A.; Baxter, Caroline; Boston, Scott; McGee, Michael; Nichols, Todd; Tencza, Elizabeth (2014). "CHAPTER FOUR A Proposed Airborne Light Armored Infantry Force". A Proposed Airborne Light Armored Infantry Force. RAND Corporation. p. 34. ISBN 9780833082169. JSTOR 10.7249/j.ctt14bs1w5.12. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Hunnicutt, R. P. (2002). Armored Car: A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles. Echo Point Books & Media. pp. 220–222. ISBN 978-1-62654-155-9.
  4. ^ Hunter, Andrew P.; Obecny, Kristina; Sanders, Gregory; Ruedlinger, James; Ellman, Jesse (1 June 2017). "Case Studies". U.S.-Canadian Defense Industrial Cooperation. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): 38.
  5. ^ "3rd Battalion, 73rd Armor Regiment". globalsecurity.org.
  6. ^ "LAV-25". Military-Today.com. ARG. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  7. ^ Lamothe, Dan (11 May 2009). . Marine Corps Times. Archived from the original on 21 June 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  8. ^ A force of one: LAV-ATs test modernization upgrades – Dvidshub.net, 27 March 2014
  9. ^ Marines Want Armored Recon Prototypes By 2023: F-35 On Wheels Or FCS Redux?. Breaking Defense. 10 May 2018.
  10. ^ Here are some big changes that may be coming to the Marine Corps. Marine Corps Times. 26 April 2021.
  11. ^ JUST IN: Textron Unveils New Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle Prototype. National Defense Magazine. 4 May 2021.
  12. ^ Major players bid for chance to build US Marine Corps’ next recon vehicle. Defense News. 4 May 2021.
  13. ^ US Marine Corps picks 2 companies to build prototypes for new recon vehicle. Defense News. 16 July 2021.
  14. ^ Textron, General Dynamics, BAE in Hunt to Build New Marine Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle. USNI News. 19 July 2021.
  15. ^ What is the Marine Corps’ Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle?. Breaking Defense. 6 September 2022.
  16. ^ Thomas G. Melvin. "LAV ARMOR PLATE STUDY". U.S. ARMY MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY, April 1992. Page 1.
  17. ^ . Archived from the original on September 25, 2006.
  18. ^ GovTribe. "Contract Activity: LAV Armor and Ballistic Protection Upgrade Packages". govtribe.com.
  19. ^ "Light Armored Vehicle (LAV)". Olive-drab.com. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  20. ^ "Spending outlook: Marine Corps procurement forecast clouded by bleak budget projections. – Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  21. ^ "DEFENSE NEWS: DTN News: General Dynamics To Supply 24 Light Armored Vehicles To the U.S. Marine Corps". Defensenews-updates.blogspot.com. 2010-08-14. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
  22. ^ 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team airdrop tests Light Armor Vehicle – Army.mil, 25 January 2018
  23. ^ "Army's Newest Airborne Unit Gets Second-Hand But Air Droppable USMC LAV-25 Armored Vehicles". The Drive. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  24. ^ "Army Light Armored Vehicles | U.S. Marines LAV-25A2". Popularmechanics.com. 2018-11-01. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
  25. ^ A/4-68 AR Deactivation; FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020 AT 11 AM EDT – 11:30 AM EDT; Ft. Bragg, N.C., A Company, 4th Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division official Facebook page, dated 8 September 2020, last accessed 27 November 2020
  26. ^ Marine Corps Awards Contract for LAV Fleet Upgrade. Military.com/Defense Tech. 17 January 2019.
  27. ^ New LAV Anti-Tank Modernization A2 armored models with new rocket launcher for U.S. Marines – Armyrecognition.com, 24 June 2017
  28. ^ Program office begins fielding upgraded LAV Anti-Tank Weapon System to Marines – Marines.mil, 16 November 2017
  29. ^ UVision to provide Hero-120 Organic Precision Fires-Mounted Aerial Loitering Munition Systems to US Marine Corps. Army Recognition. 21 June 2021.
  30. ^ This Is Our First Look At The Marines' Loitering Munition-Armed Light Armored Vehicle. The Drive.com/The War Zone. 11 October 2021.
  31. ^ "LAV-AD, United States of America". Army-Technology.com. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  32. ^ "Army, Marine Corps Told to Join Forces and Develop New Armored Vehicle". Inside the Pentagon. Vol. 7, no. 30. Inside Washington Publishers. 25 July 1991. p. 5. JSTOR 43987311. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  33. ^ "Senate Appropriators Say: Army Does Not Have Funding to Follow Through With Force Modernization Plans". Inside the Pentagon. Vol. 7, no. 39. Inside Washington Publishers. 26 September 1991. p. 12. JSTOR 43989173. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  34. ^ Duchnowski, Jillian (15 June 2009). "Sheriff's vehicle has many uses". Northwest Herald. Retrieved 27 April 2013.

External links

  • LAV-25 page on Militaryfactory.com
  • USMC Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) page on Olive-drab.com

member, family, eight, wheeled, amphibious, armored, reconnaissance, vehicle, built, general, dynamics, land, systems, used, united, states, marine, corps, united, states, army, from, army, 68th, armor, regiment, 82nd, airborne, divisiontypearmored, reconnaiss. The LAV 25 is a member of the LAV II family 2 It is an eight wheeled amphibious armored reconnaissance vehicle built by General Dynamics Land Systems and used by the United States Marine Corps and the United States Army LAV 25A LAV 25A2 from the U S Army s 4 68th Armor Regiment of the 82nd Airborne DivisionTypeArmored reconnaissance vehicle infantry fighting vehicle hybrid 1 Place of originCanada United StatesService historyIn service1983 presentWarsU S invasion of PanamaPersian Gulf WarOperation Uphold Democracy War in Afghanistan Iraq WarProduction historyDesignerGeneral Motors Diesel later General Dynamics Land Systems ManufacturerGeneral Motors Diesel later GDLS Specifications standard variant Mass12 80 tonnes 12 60 long tons 14 11 short tons Length6 39 m 21 ft 0 in Width2 50 m 8 ft 2 in Height2 69 m 8 ft 10 in Crew3 6ArmorWelded steelMainarmamentM242 Bushmaster 25 mm chain gun with 210 rounds of ammunitionSecondaryarmamentTwo M240 7 62 mm machine guns with 660 rounds of ammunition one mounted co axially and one pintle mounted on the roofEngineDetroit Diesel 6V53T300 hp 205 kW Power weight19 5 hp sh tn 16 0 kW t TransmissionAllison MT653Suspension8 8 wheeledOperationalrange660 km 410 mi Maximum speed100 km h 62 mph Contents 1 History 1 1 Replacement 2 Design 2 1 Armor 3 Variants 3 1 LAV 25 3 2 LAV 25A1 3 3 LAV 25A2 3 4 LAV 25A3 3 5 Derivatives 4 Operators 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory EditDuring the 1980s the U S Marine Corps began looking for a light armored vehicle to give their divisions greater mobility In April 1981 the DoD opened submissions to the LAV program Three contractors were downselected 3 Alvis A Scorpion 90 and a three Scorpion APCs 3 Cadillac Gage A V 150S a stretched V 150 and a V 300 3 General Motors of Canada General Motors Diesel 4 a license built copy of the Mowag Piranha 8 8 3 The Marine Corps evaluated the three LAV submissions In September 1982 the General Motors submission was selected GM was awarded initial production contract for 969 LAVs The Army type classified the 25 mm gun variant as the M1047 The Army sought 2 350 of the 12 7 mm 50 caliber armed light squad carrier variant and at one point was expected to be the LAV s biggest buyer Congress canceled funds for the LAV 25 causing the Army to drop out of the program The Marine Corps managed to secure enough funding to buy 758 LAVs in six variants 3 The LAV entered service with the Marines in 1983 The Army borrowed at least a dozen LAV 25s for use by the 82nd Airborne Division 3 73rd Armor for a scout platoon during the Gulf War These LAV 25s were returned to the Marine Corps after the conflict 5 The USMC ordered 758 vehicles of all variants LAVs first saw combat during the Invasion of Panama in 1989 and continued service in the Gulf War Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan 6 The table of organization and equipment for a USMC light armored reconnaissance battalion includes 56 LAV 25s 16 LAV ATs 12 LAV Ls 8 LAV Ms 4 LAV Rs 4 LAV C2s and an unknown number of LAV MEWSS vehicles 7 Replacement Edit The LAV platform is planned to remain in service with the Marine Corps until 2035 8 The Marines aim to have prototypes for the LAV s replacement dubbed the Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle ARV by 2023 The ARV was initially planned to be a networked family of wheeled vehicles capable of performing various mission sets with 500 to be procured 9 However in April 2021 the Marines revealed they had shifted focus to new capabilities for performing reconnaissance rather than specific types of platforms and that the LAV 25 replacement may not be a new armored vehicle 10 Nevertheless proposals for Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle prototypes were due in May 2021 requirements were for a vehicle with a tethered unmanned aircraft system UAS and an open architecture approach allowing for integration of capabilities including battle management systems and communications suites weighing less than 18 5 tons and being small enough to fit four on a Ship to Shore Connector 11 Vendors that submitted proposals include General Dynamics Land Systems Textron and BAE Systems The Marine Corps plans to make up to three awards for ARV prototypes for testing and evaluation then choose up to two to continue into a competitive engineering and manufacturing development phase in 2024 after which a decision will be made as to whether production will be pursued 12 Textron and GDLS were awarded Other Transaction Authority OTA contracts in July 2021 for prototypes to be built and evaluated over the next two years 13 BAE Systems will also participate in a separate technical study to see if a variant of its Amphibious Combat Vehicle can meet ARV requirements 14 There are planned to be six ARV variants command control communications and computers unmanned aerial system C4 UAS organic precision fire mounted counter UAS 30 mm autocannon and ATGM logistics and recovery 15 Design EditDeveloped from the AVGP family built by General Dynamics Land Systems the LAV 25 is powered by a 6V53T Detroit Diesel turbo charged engine they are four wheel drive rear wheels transferable to Eight wheel drive These vehicles are also amphibious meaning they have the ability to swim but are limited to non surf bodies of water no oceans While engaged in amphibious operations the maximum speed is approximately 12 km h 7 5 mph using equipped propellers The current Service Life Extension Program SLEP modifications will hinder or eliminate amphibious operations Typical land speeds are approximately 100 km h 62 5 mph in either 4 or 8 wheel drive however fuel economy decreases in 8 wheel drive The vehicles operate on diesel fuel They are equipped with a M242 Bushmaster 25 mm autocannon two M240 7 62 mm machine guns and two 4 barrel smoke grenade launchers located on the forward left and right sides of the turret The crew is three vehicle commander gunner and driver and four passengers scouts with combat gear The LAV 25 s power plant An LAV 25 conducts swim test at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune SLEP mods to a LAV 25 show new thermal shrouding over the exhaust The LAV 25 s rear passenger compartment Armor Edit Destroyed LAV 25 during the 1991 Gulf War The LAV 25 is a lightly armored vehicle The base model is protected by light gauge high hardness steel armor MIL A 46100 varying in nominal thickness from 4 71 mm to 9 71 mm This level of high hardness steel armor is intended only to offer protection against small arms rounds such as the common 7 62x39mm M1943 ball used by Kalashnikov rifles such as the AKM to achieve the lowest possible weight and cost 16 Variants EditLAV 25 Edit The standard LAV is fitted with a turret with 360 traverse armed with an M242 25 mm chain gun with 420 rounds of 25 mm ammunition both M791 APDS T Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot Tracer and M792 HEI T High Explosive Incendiary Tracer of which half is ready for use 150 rounds are ready for use from one stowage bin 60 from another stowage bin the other 210 rounds are stowed elsewhere in the vehicle A coaxial M240C machine gun is mounted alongside the M242 and a pintle mounted M240B G machine gun with 1 320 rounds of 7 62 mm ammunition is mounted on the turret roof The Canadian Army uses an upgraded version of this chassis for its Coyote Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle LAV 25A1 Edit The vehicle has been through many changes through the late 1990s The new modification or SLEP has changed the LAV 25 to the LAV 25A1 standard and has been completely fielded LAV 25A2 Edit Airborne operations certification of the LAV 25A2 2017 A U S Air Force C 17 delivers a U S Marine Corps LAV 25A2 at 1 500 ft 457 m over Fort Bragg and airdropped onto Sicily Drop Zone where U S Army paratroopers prepare the LAV and its weapons for action then test fire its weapons as part of OTC s airdrop certification U S Army s 82nd Airborne 68th Armor conducts gunnery at Camp Atterbury 0 35 source source source source source source source source source source source source Funding has been approved for continued upgrades to the LAV family to bring them up to the LAV A2 standard Phase I improvements include increased external and internal ballistic armor upgrades improved fire suppression equipment and upgrading the vehicle s suspension to the Generation II standard 17 Phase II upgrades include replacing the turret hydraulics with an electric drive system and replacing the thermal sight with an improved model incorporating a laser range finder for aircraft To reflect the improved significant survivability and capability enhancements occurring today the LAV is being renamed as the LAV A2 The LAV A2 project involved developing and installing an internal and external ballistic protection upgrade package developed by Armatec Survivability 18 for the Light Armored Vehicles an automatic fire suppression system for the interior of the vehicle and a Generation II suspension upgrade to support the added weight of the new armor The suspension upgrade includes new struts steering knuckles torsion bars shocks and mounts and driveshaft The three kit armor system provides the LAV with additional survivability against improvised explosive devices IED and direct fire kinetic energy weapons The LAV 25A2 includes the Improved Thermal Sight System ITSS developed by Raytheon The ITSS provides the gunner and commander with thermal images an eye safe laser range finder a fire control solution and far target location target grid information 19 The new armor will provide protection from 14 5 mm armor piercing rounds and include an anti spall lining on the inside to further protect crew members It will be similar to the protection found on the U S Army s LAV III Stryker variant 20 21 Tests by the U S Army s Operational Test Command OTC Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate at Fort Bragg demonstrated that the LAV 25A2 could be airdropped from transport aircraft a capability of interest to Army airborne units 22 In October 2018 Alpha Company 4th Battalion 68th Armor Regiment 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division was activated and equipped with ex USMC LAV 25A2s for test and evaluation the unit was deactivated in September 2020 differing to wait for the creation of the U S Army s Mobile Protected Firepower units planned for 2025 2026 23 24 25 LAV 25A3 Edit In January 2019 General Dynamics was awarded a 37 2 million contract to upgrade the Marine Corps LAV fleet Designated the LAV A3 upgrades include improvements to the powerpack to improve reliability cooling capacity diagnostics and fuel economy a new drivetrain for improved towing capability a steering dampener to improve road feel and usability and a digitized drivers instrument panel The initial contract was for 60 hardware kits which are planned for installation by 2021 26 Derivatives Edit Five variants of the LAV 25 were originally envisioned Only six were initially production ready Other than the LAV 25 these were 3 The LAV AT with the 901A1 TOW 2 LAV AT Anti Tank LAV fitted with an Emerson 901A1 TOW 2 anti tank guided missile launcher the same turret that was fitted on the M901 ITV It is also armed with a pintle mounted M240E1 or M240B general purpose machine gun It carries a total of 16 TOW missiles and 1 000 rounds of 7 62 mm ammunition LAV ATM Modernization replaces the Emerson turret with the modified target acquisition system turret Improvements include always being in the up position to scan and track while moving and a more reliable digital design 27 The turret is also unmanned can fire both wire guided and radio frequency TOW missiles has an improved thermal sight far target location system new commander gunner video sight displays and an electric elevation and azimuth drive system to rotate the system onto target 28 LAV M Mortar LAV fitted with opening doors on the top inside it is fitted with an 81 mm M252 mortar with 360 traverse and a pintle mounted M240E1 machine gun It carries 99 81 mm mortar shells and 1 000 rounds of 7 62 mm ammunition In June 2021 the Marine Corps selected the UVision Hero 120 loitering munition to be integrated onto the LAV M as well as other platforms under the Organic Precision Fire Mounted OPF M effort to enable them to employ a mid range anti armor weapon system 29 The multi canister launcher MCL mounted on the LAV M can hold eight munitions 30 LAV R Recovery LAV fitted with a boom crane and recovery winch for use in recovery of vehicles specifically other LAVs It is armed with a pintle mounted M240E1 G machine gun and carries 1 000 rounds of 7 62 mm ammunition LAV C2 Command amp Control LAV with a raised roof to accommodate several VHF UHF and HF radios It is armed with a pintle mounted M240E1 G machine gun and carries 1 000 rounds of 7 62 mm ammunition Generally referred to as the C2 C square or C two LAV LOG Logistics LAV for use in a logistics role e g cargo transport Development continued with two other variants The LAV AD during live fire exercise LAV AD Air Defense LAV fitted with an electric turret mounting a General Dynamics GAU 12 Equalizer 25 mm 0 984 in 5 barreled Gatling cannon and two missile pods each with 4 FIM 92 Stinger missiles for short range air defense duties Capacity for 990 rounds of 25 mm ammunition and 16 including 8 reload rounds FIM 92 Stinger missiles A variant using the Mistral missile in place of Stingers was developed for the export market 31 unreliable source LAV AG Assault Gun In 1987 General Motors tested an EX35 105 mm gun on a LAV chassis In June 1990 the Marine Corps awarded Cadillac Gage Textron a contract to provide three LAVs designated the LAV 105 with the EX35 gun This project was canceled in 1991 due to a lack of funds 3 However funding was restored by Congress under the stipulation that the Army and Marine Corps integrate the turret and gun of the LAV 105 with the Armored Gun System chassis 32 Amid concerns about the potential mismatch between the two components Congress later nixed this requirement 33 The Marine Corps revived the LAV 105 in 1993 None were ultimately ordered though the vehicle did perform well during testing 3 Other variants LAV MEWSS Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System LAV modified for use in an electronic warfare role Specific details of this variant are classified LAV EFSS Expeditionary Fire Support System Proposed replacement for LAV M LAV fitted with provisions to use Dragon Fire a 120 mm recoil mortar system An unknown variant is used by at least one civilian law enforcement agency 34 Operators Edit Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian National Guard United States United States Army used by 82nd Airborne Division United States Marine CorpsSee also EditTATA Kestrel Mowag Piranha Patria AMV ASLAV BTR 90 FNSS PARS LAV III NZLAV KTO Rosomak Stryker United States Marine Corps Light Armored Reconnaissance VBCI Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle BTR 3 Tusan AFV Pandur IReferences Edit Michael Green Greg Stewart 2003 Modern U S tanks amp AFVs Zenith Imprint ISBN 9780760314678 Retrieved 29 January 2011 Gordon John Schaefer Agnes Gereben Shlapak David A Baxter Caroline Boston Scott McGee Michael Nichols Todd Tencza Elizabeth 2014 CHAPTER FOUR A Proposed Airborne Light Armored Infantry Force A Proposed Airborne Light Armored Infantry Force RAND Corporation p 34 ISBN 9780833082169 JSTOR 10 7249 j ctt14bs1w5 12 Retrieved 14 February 2022 a b c d e f g h Hunnicutt R P 2002 Armored Car A History of American Wheeled Combat Vehicles Echo Point Books amp Media pp 220 222 ISBN 978 1 62654 155 9 Hunter Andrew P Obecny Kristina Sanders Gregory Ruedlinger James Ellman Jesse 1 June 2017 Case Studies U S Canadian Defense Industrial Cooperation Center for Strategic and International Studies CSIS 38 3rd Battalion 73rd Armor Regiment globalsecurity org LAV 25 Military Today com ARG Retrieved 27 April 2013 Lamothe Dan 11 May 2009 Corps has big plans to upgrade LAV fleet Marine Corps Times Archived from the original on 21 June 2013 Retrieved 27 April 2013 A force of one LAV ATs test modernization upgrades Dvidshub net 27 March 2014 Marines Want Armored Recon Prototypes By 2023 F 35 On Wheels Or FCS Redux Breaking Defense 10 May 2018 Here are some big changes that may be coming to the Marine Corps Marine Corps Times 26 April 2021 JUST IN Textron Unveils New Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle Prototype National Defense Magazine 4 May 2021 Major players bid for chance to build US Marine Corps next recon vehicle Defense News 4 May 2021 US Marine Corps picks 2 companies to build prototypes for new recon vehicle Defense News 16 July 2021 Textron General Dynamics BAE in Hunt to Build New Marine Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle USNI News 19 July 2021 What is the Marine Corps Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle Breaking Defense 6 September 2022 Thomas G Melvin LAV ARMOR PLATE STUDY U S ARMY MATERIALS TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY April 1992 Page 1 MCA Continues LAV Upgrades Archived from the original on September 25 2006 GovTribe Contract Activity LAV Armor and Ballistic Protection Upgrade Packages govtribe com Light Armored Vehicle LAV Olive drab com Retrieved 2012 11 09 Spending outlook Marine Corps procurement forecast clouded by bleak budget projections Free Online Library Thefreelibrary com Retrieved 2012 11 09 DEFENSE NEWS DTN News General Dynamics To Supply 24 Light Armored Vehicles To the U S Marine Corps Defensenews updates blogspot com 2010 08 14 Retrieved 2012 11 09 82nd Airborne Division s 3rd Brigade Combat Team airdrop tests Light Armor Vehicle Army mil 25 January 2018 Army s Newest Airborne Unit Gets Second Hand But Air Droppable USMC LAV 25 Armored Vehicles The Drive 29 October 2018 Retrieved 30 October 2018 Army Light Armored Vehicles U S Marines LAV 25A2 Popularmechanics com 2018 11 01 Retrieved 2019 01 16 A 4 68 AR Deactivation FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25 2020 AT 11 AM EDT 11 30 AM EDT Ft Bragg N C A Company 4th Battalion 68th Armor Regiment 82nd Airborne Division official Facebook page dated 8 September 2020 last accessed 27 November 2020 Marine Corps Awards Contract for LAV Fleet Upgrade Military com Defense Tech 17 January 2019 New LAV Anti Tank Modernization A2 armored models with new rocket launcher for U S Marines Armyrecognition com 24 June 2017 Program office begins fielding upgraded LAV Anti Tank Weapon System to Marines Marines mil 16 November 2017 UVision to provide Hero 120 Organic Precision Fires Mounted Aerial Loitering Munition Systems to US Marine Corps Army Recognition 21 June 2021 This Is Our First Look At The Marines Loitering Munition Armed Light Armored Vehicle The Drive com The War Zone 11 October 2021 LAV AD United States of America Army Technology com Retrieved 27 April 2013 Army Marine Corps Told to Join Forces and Develop New Armored Vehicle Inside the Pentagon Vol 7 no 30 Inside Washington Publishers 25 July 1991 p 5 JSTOR 43987311 Retrieved 24 January 2022 Senate Appropriators Say Army Does Not Have Funding to Follow Through With Force Modernization Plans Inside the Pentagon Vol 7 no 39 Inside Washington Publishers 26 September 1991 p 12 JSTOR 43989173 Retrieved 24 January 2022 Duchnowski Jillian 15 June 2009 Sheriff s vehicle has many uses Northwest Herald Retrieved 27 April 2013 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to LAV 25 Light Armored Vehicles on Navy mil LAV 25 page on Militaryfactory com USMC Light Armored Vehicle LAV page on Olive drab com USMC LAV 25 on Discovermilitary com Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title LAV 25 amp oldid 1139586847, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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