The Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV), is an Australian version of the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV-25) designed and manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada for the U.S. Marines. The initial design was the MOWAG Piranha 8x8, however the vehicle was re-designed to meet North American requirements and US Military Standards. It is a highly mobile, eight wheeled amphibious armoured vehicle used for reconnaissance and surveillance operations.
| ASLAV | |
|---|---|
| Type | Eight-wheeled IFV |
| Place of origin |  Canada, Australia |
| Service history | |
| Used by | Australian Army |
| Wars | Iraq War, Afghanistan, East Timor |
| Production history | |
| Designer | MOWAG General Motors Diesel Division Canada General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia |
| Designed | 1992–1994 |
| Manufacturer | General Motors Diesel Division Canada General Dynamics Land Systems - Australia |
| Unit cost | USD$2.0 million[1] |
| Produced | 1995–2007 |
| Number built | 257 |
| Variants | ASLAV-25, ASLAV-PC, ASLAV-C, ASLAV-S, ASLAV-A, ASLAV-F, ASLAV-R |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 13.2 tonnes |
| Length | 6.53 m |
| Width | 2.62 m |
| Height | 2.69 m |
| Crew | 3 + 6 troops |
| | |
| Armor | Unknown |
| Primary armament | 25 mm M242 Chain Gun 720 rounds |
| Secondary armament | 7.62 mm MAG58 machine gun 1,200 rounds |
| Engine | Detroit Diesel 6V-53T 275 hp (205 kW) |
| Power/weight | 15.53 kW/tonne |
| Suspension | 8 wheel independent |
| Operational range | 660 km (410 mi) |
| Speed | 100 km/h (62 mph) |
The Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) has an eight wheeled configuration (capable of either four or eight wheel drive), is amphibious and has a range of 600 km with a top road speed of 100 km/h. The vehicle has excellent battlefield mobility, as all wheels are equipped with a solid-core secondary tyre next to the hub, allowing the vehicle to function even with eight flat tyres.
Phase 3 improvements include a laser range finder, the latest generation thermal imager, 28 V DC electric drive for the turret and improved suspension for the hull.
The heat of northern Australia poses special problems for armoured vehicle crews with interior temperatures reaching 55 °C (131 °F). The Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) is fitted with air-conditioning that reduces temperatures at the crew positions to outside levels. Increasing the versatility of the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) even more is the use of non-permanent Mission Role Installation Kits (MRIKs) to generate several variants from a single hull design. This is a unique Australian modification and much of the design and development work was done in Australia.
