MOWAG Piranha APC (Switzerland) KEY RECOGNITION FEATURES • Pointed hull front with lower part sloping back to first road wheel station and upper part sloping up to horizontal hull top that extends to rear. Trim vane normally folded up under nose. • Driver sits front left with engine compartment to right, troop compartment extends right to rear with troops entering via two doors in rear. Hull sides slope inward top and bottom just above road wheels • MOWAG Piranha produced in 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 versions but all have similar layout. In 6x6 rear two road wheels are close together, in 8x8 road wheels are equally spaced
SPECIFICATIONS Model: Crew: (max) Lenqth: Width: Height (hull top): Weight, combat: Weight, empty: Power-to-weight ratio: Engine type:(all diesel) hp/rpm: Maximum road speed: Maximum water speed: Maximum road range: Fuel capacity: (lit) Fording: Vertical obstacle: Gradient: Side slope: Armour (maximum): NBC system: Night vision equipment:
8x8 4x4 6x6 10 14 15 5.32m 5.97m 6.365m 2.5m 2.5m 2.5m 1.85m 1.85m 1.85m 12,300kg 7,800kg 10,500kg 8,800kG 6,700kg 8,000kg 24.4hp/t 25hp/t 28.6hp/t 6V-53T 6BTA 5.9 6V-53T 195/2800 300/2800 300/2800 100km/hr lOOkm/hr lOOkm/hr 9.5km/hr 10.5km/hr 10.5km/hr 700km 600km 780km 200 200 300 All fully amphibious 0.5m 0.5m 0.5m 70% 70% 70% 35% 35% 35% 10mm 10mm 10mm Standard on all vehicles Optional on all vehicles
DEVELOPMENT In the early 1970s MOWAG started development of a range of 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 armoured vehicles which have many common components and a wide range of roles. The family was subsequently called Piranha, first prototype completed in 1972 and first production vehicles in 1976. In addition to being manufactured by MOWAG in Switzerland the Piranha family is also manufactured under licence in Canada (Diesel Division, General Motors of Canada),
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Chile (FAMAE), and the UK (Alvis Vehicles). In the latter case they are all for export (Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia). There are separate entries for the Canadian (6x6), Canadian (8x8) LAV-25 and Bison (8x8) APCs. All Piranhas have similar layout with driver front left, Detroit Diesel right, rear taken by troop compartment which has roof hatches and twin doors in rear. Troop compartment can have firing ports and vision devices and a wide range of weapon systems can be installed on roof. Piranha is fully amphibious, propelled by two propellers under hull at rear. Before entering water a trim vane is erected at front and bilge pumps switched on. Vehicle can be used for wide range of roles including ambulance, anti-tank armed with ATGWs, cargo, command, internal security, mortar carrier, recovery, reconnaissance and radar carrier. Standard equipment includes NBC and air-conditioning system, optional equipment includes winch and night vision equipment. VARIANTS 4x4 can have various weapon stations up to turret-mounted 20mm cannon. 6x6 can have various turrets up to two-man turret armed with 90mm gun. Swiss Army has ordered 310 in anti-tank role with Norwegian Kvaerner-Eureka turret and twin TOW ATGW in ready-to-launch position. 8x8 version can have wide range of turrets and weapon systems including Euromissile Mephisto launcher with four HOT ATGWs, 90mm turret, 105mm turret with low recoil force gun, and multiple rocket launchers. In 1994 the prototype of a MOWAG 10x10 Piranha was built
