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About > Products > Product Details
LAV-25
Model height 5.5cm (to turret top);
length 13cm;
width 5cm.
The LAV-25 as operated by the US Marine Corps is a versatile and proven design based on the Piranha produced by Swiss company MOWAG (now owned by General Motors Defense of Canada) as a private venture in 1972. It is light enough for helicopter transport and can be used for beach landings. The LAV-25 has a crew of three (driver and a two-man Delco turret) and can take six infantry. They sit three each side back to back, and there are six firing ports and vision blocks. The 25mm turret chain gun is the same as that fitted to the Bradley. The LAV was the first American armoured vehicle to be flown into Afghanistan when the Marines established a forward base near Kandahar, and it also also played an important role in both Iraq wars.
The Piranha comes in a variety of models, from 4x4 up to 10x10, and there are many variations. The latest version of the Piranha, the Piranha IV (known as the LAV-III) is longer, wider and heavier than the original LAV-25 platform. It has hydropneumatic suspension, ABS and traction control, and is used by the US Army as the Stryker for its Brigade Combat Teams, with eight variants and a variety of weapons. The Army had withdrawn from the original LAV programme in 1984.
In 1999 the FCS (future combat system) was launched afterdelays were experienced in getting Task Force Hawk to deploy in Kosovo. Because FCS is not due to enter service until 2010, it was decided to set up the Brigade Combat Teams for rapid reaction and peacekeeping missions. In November 2000, the Army ordered 2,131 Piranha IIIs to equip seven such teams. Variants include a mobile gun with 105mm cannon, infantry carrier, reconnaisance, anti-tank, ambulance, mortar carrier, engineers, command, fire support co-ordination, and NBC reconnaisance. Apart from the US, the Piranha is in service or on order for Australia, Canada, Chile, Denmark, Ghana, Ireland, Liberia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Quatar, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Sweden, Switzerland and Spain. Among the variants acquired by Saudi Arabia are versions with a 120mm mortar, 90mm assault gun and HOT anti-tank.
Imprint Models, 14 Green Lane, Colchester, Essex CO4 0JA
+44 (0) 1206 862311