LAV III Canadian Infantry Fighting Vehicles

The LAV III armoured vehicle (AV) is the latest in the Generation III Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) series built by General Dynamics Land Systems, entering service in 1999. It is based on the Swiss MOWAG Piranha IIIH 8x8.

The LAV III was developed in Canada and is the primary mechanized infantry vehicle of the Canadian Land Force Command and the New Zealand Army. The United States Army uses a more lightly armed LAV III derivative named the Stryker. The LAV III and the Stryker have also been referred to as Land Assault Vehicles.

LAV III
Type	Infantry Fighting Vehicle
Place of origin	Canada
Service history
Used by	See 'Operators'
Wars	See 'Service history'
Specifications
Weight	16.95 t
Length	6.98 m (22.9 ft)
Width	2.7 m (8.9 ft)
Height	2.8 m (9.2 ft)
Crew	3 (+ 6 or 7 passengers)
Primary armament	1 × M242 25 mm chain gun with TIS
Secondary armament	1 × C6 7.62 mm machine gun (coaxial) 1 × C9A2 5.56 mm or C6 7.62 mm machine gun (pintle mount)
Engine	Caterpillar 3126 diesel 260 kW (350 hp)
Suspension	Hydropneumatic
Operational range	450 km (280 mi)
Speed	100 km/h (62 mph)

LAV III Mobility

The LAV III is powered by a Caterpillar 3126 diesel engine developing 350 horsepower, and can reach speeds of 100 kilometres per hour. The vehicle is fitted with 8x8 drive and also equipped with a central tire inflation system, which allows it to adjust to different terrain, including off-road. The LAV III is fitted with a modern anti-locking brake system (ABS) and a traction control system (TCS). Unlike earlier versions of the LAV, the LAV III does not have any amphibious capabilities.

The LAV III faces the same concerns that most other wheeled military vehicles face. Like all wheeled armoured vehicles, the LAV III's ground pressure is inherently higher than a tracked vehicle with a comparable weight. This is a result of the fact that tires will have less surface area in contact with the ground when compared to a tracked vehicle. Higher ground pressure results in an increased likelihood of sinking into soft terrain such as mud, snow and sand, leading to the vehicle becoming stuck. The lower ground pressure and improved traction offered by tracked vehicles also gives them an advantage over vehicles like the LAV III when it comes to managing slopes, trenches, and other obstacles.

The LAV III can somewhat compensate for these effects by deflating its tires slightly, meaning that the surface area in contact with the ground increases, and the ground pressure is slightly lowered.

However, wheels offer several advantages over tracked vehicles, including lower maintenance for both the vehicle and road infrastructure, quieter movement for improved stealth, greater speed over good terrain, and higher ground clearance for protection against mines and improvised explosive devices.

The LAV III's turret gives the vehicle a higher centre of gravity than the vehicle was initially designed for. This has led to concerns that the vehicle is more likely to roll over on uneven terrain.

While there have been several recorded rollovers (about 12), the most common cause was found to be unstable terrain, specifically road shoulders unexpectedly giving away beneath the vehicle. The weight balance of the LAV III is taken into consideration during driver training, largely mitigating the chances of a rollover.

LAV III Protection

The basic armor of the LAV III ,covering the Standardization Agreement STANAG 4569 level III ,which provides a all-round protection against 7.62x51mm NATO. A ceramic appliqué armor (MEXAS) can be added, which protects against 14.5x114mm heavy calibre rounds from 500 meters. In December 2008 the Government of Canada awarded EODC Engineering, Developing and Licencing Inc. C$81.5 million worth of contracts to provide for add-on-armour kits, modules and spares for its LAV III wheeled armored personnel carriers. This armour kit is intended to provide increased protection against Improvised explosive device, Explosively formed penetrator and 30 mm caliber armour piercing rounds. The LAV III can be also fitted with cage armour, which provides protection against shaped charges. The LAV III is fitted with a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) filtration system accompanied with a GID-3 chemical detector and AN/VDR 2 radiation detector systems. The LAV III was designed to produce a very low and very compact structure to minimize radar and IR-signatures. The LAV III also uses heat-absorbing filters to provide temporary protection against thermal imaging (TIS), image intensifier and infrared camera (IR).

The majority of Canadian casualties in Afghanistan have occurred during a patrol aboard a LAV III. This can be explained by the fact that the LAV III is the most commonly used Canadian armoured personnel carrier in theatre, and simply represents a normal association between use and likelihood to encounter a mine or improvised explosive device. The LAV III offers comparable or better protection than most other infantry carriers used in Afghanistan. In an effort to improve protection as a result of experiences in Afghanistan, future LAV III upgrades will likely include improved mine and IED protection.

LAV III Armament

The LAV III is fitted with a two-man turret, armed with the M242 Bushmaster 25 mm caliber chain gun and coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun. One more 5.56 mm or 7.62 mm machine gun is positioned on top of the turret.The LAV-III have also has eight 76-mm grenade in two clusters of four launchers positioned on each side of the turret. The grenade launchers are intended for smoke grenades.

LAV III Sights

The LAV III is equipped with a daytime optical, Thermal Imaging System (TIS) and Generation III Image Intensification (II). The LAV III is equipped with a Tactical Navigation System (TacNav) to assist them in navigation and target location tasks. The LAV III is equipped with a LCD monitor directly connected to the vehicle's external cameras, providing real-time images of the battlefield for the passengers.