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2016-10-06

The BvS10 Amphibious Armoured All-Terrain Vehicle

The Viking BvS10 is praised for its multi-role and world-wide operational capability

The BvS10, designed and manufactured by the BAE Systems Hagglunds of Sweden, is a fully amphibious armoured all-terrain vehicle, which consists of two tracked vehicle units linked by a steering mechanism.

The BvS10 vehicle development was based on the operationally proven capability of the Swedish Hagglunds Bv206 and Bv206S vehicles. Over 11,000 vehicles are in service in 40 countries.

The BvS10, fitted with a more powerful engine, is larger and faster than the Bv206S and has greater load capacity. However, the BvS10 has the same superior mobility in difficult terrain as the Bv206 and the Bv206S, including amphibious landing capability.

It can be deployed via landing craft from a ship. It is also fully air transportable by C130 Hercules or underslung by Chinook.

The BvS10 offers a load capacity of three to five tonnes. It can operate in temperatures from –46°C to +46°C.

History of orders and deployments

The BvS10 vehicles successfully completed an 18 month series of trials in Norway, UK, Sweden and Oman.

The United Kingdom

Originally designed for the British Royal Marines and named Viking, the vehicle underwent an extensive trials and development programme from 2001-2004. The first prototype BvS10 vehicles were delivered to the British Army in June 2001. The UK’s Royal Marine Commandos took delivery of its first batch of production Viking all-terrain vehicle (protected) – ATV(P) – vehicles in July 2003. Initial operating capability (IOC) was achieved in 2005 and final deliveries were in early 2006. The Viking entered service with the UK Army in April 2006.

In May 2007, the UK Ministry of Defence placed an order for an additional 21 Viking vehicles, to be used for transporting equipment for the Watchkeeper unmanned aerial vehicle, the UK Army’s new UAV.

In June 2008, the UK Ministry of Defence placed an order for a further 14 Viking vehicles, including nine repair recovery vehicles, one command vehicle and four troop carriers, for deployment to Afghanistan. The vehicles will be in service until beyond 2023.

In December 2008, the UK Ministry of Defence announced plans to procure 100 new vehicles, called Warthog, to replace Viking vehicles operating in Afghanistan. The contract value for the vehicles was £150m ($243m). The delivery of more than 100 Warthog vehicles began in September 2010 and concluded in June 2011.

In 2009, the UK ordered 24 improved version of the vehicle known as the BvS10 Viking mkII for £24m. The last vehicle was delivered in March 2010 for deployment in Afghanistan. The contract also included modifications, such as fitting urgent operation equipment. Furthermore, in October 2012, the UK Ministry of Defence placed a $61m contract to refurbish 99 Viking vehicles and bring to a common MkII mine-protected amphibious capability.

Oman

In September 2001, Vikings were transported to Oman and took part in Exercise Saif Sereea 2, where full operational testing was carried out in the extreme hot and dry desert conditions.

France

In December 2009, the DGA, a French army procurement agency, ordered 53 vehicles BVS10 Mk II, a new and improved version of the all-terrain vehicle in service with the Dutch and British armed force.

The Netherlands

In June 2005, the Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation placed a contract with Land Systems Hagglunds, for 74 BvS10 all terrain vehicles for the Royal Netherlands Marines. The vehicle is being procured in four variants; troop carrier (46 vehicles), command (20), repair and recovery (four) and ambulance (four). They will supplement the Bv206 vehicles in service with the Marines since the early 1990s. Deliveries began in January 2006 and by 2008, the Netherlands had 66 vehicles.

Austria

BAE Systems has been awarded a contract to produce 32 BvS10 military vehicles for Austria under a government-to-government arrangement with Sweden early this year. With this agreement Austria will benefit from the Swedish government’s selection of the BvS10 in an open international competition. The contract is for the Armored Personnel Carrier variant of the BvS10 with deliveries beginning in the second half of 2017 and concluding in 2019.

Variants

- Armoured personel carrier

- Repair and recovery vehicle

- Ambulance

- Command and control

- Load carrier

- Mortar carrier

- BvS10 Mk2: upgrade version of the BvS10

Armament

In its normal deployment the vehicle remains out of contact with hostile troops but if attacked or ambushed the vehicle’s self defence systems can be deployed.

The roof of the cabin for the front vehicle is fitted with a ring mount for a 12.7 mm calibre Browning heavy machine gun or a 7.62 mm calibre general purpose machine gun. To increase protection, the BvS10 is also equipped with two groups of 4 smoke-grenades discharger, mounted to the front of the vehicle, on the top of each front window. The driver or vehicle commander can operate smoke dischargers, which can fire smoke or white phosphorous grenades.

Design and protection

The hull of the BvS10 is made up of steel armor-plates, which give protection against 7.62mm armour-piercing rounds and 152mm artillery shell fragments from a range of more than 10m. The vehicle is rated to protect against 0.5kg charge anti-personnel mines.

The BvS10 vehicle consists of two linked tracked units. The units are articulated vertically and horizontally for steering and for manoeuvring over rough terrain. All four tracks are driving continuously giving maximum tractive effort in all conditions. The rubber tracks systems are supplied by Soucy International of Quebec, Canada.

The body is of armoured steel construction. The rounded edges and smooth contours of the profile assist in minimising the radar cross-section.

The British version of the BvS10 is equipped with a mine protection kit and armour cage. The BvS10 design allows for upgrades and for the installation of modular subsystems to suit specific operational requirements, including add-on armour, a range of weapon mounts, load changers, and standard cargo platforms. British BvS10 crews are usually armed with the SA80A2K carbine, a shortened version of the standard assault rifle, designed for carry within cramped compartments.

Propulsion

The newly developed chassis, power train and steering units give the vehicle speed and comfort on road and in terrain comparable with modern IFV´s. The front vehicle is equipped with a 5.9l in-line six-cylinder turbo diesel engine designed by Cummins and producing 250bhp (183kW at 2,600rpm), more than twice the power of the Bv206.

The maximum torque is 840Nm at 1,600rpm. The Allison MD3560 six forward plus one reverse speed automatic transmission has differentials and final drives on both the rear and front cabins.

The suspension of BvS10 is composed with 6 small road wheels on each side of the chassis, there is no track-return rollers. Only one idler wheel is mounted at the front. This suspension is the same for the front and rear vehicles.

Accessories

The BvS10 can ford through water up to a depth of 1.5m without preparation. The vehicle is fully amphibious, being able to swim in deeper water with less than two minutes preparation including closing holes and fitting a front vane to prevent a bow wave washing over the front windows. The water speed is 5km/h.

All-terrain mobility

The fully laden weight is 10t but the Viking maintains good mobility on soft terrain, such as snow, mud or sand because the ground pressure is minimised by the even load distribution over the four tracks. The tracks are 620mm wide moulded rubber with chord. The mean maximum ground pressure is about the same as that of the Bv206 vehicle, which is 4t lighter. The vehicle retains mobility even if a track is damaged by a mine.

The ground clearance of the Viking has been greatly increased over that of the Bv206 family of vehicles, to enhance the cross-country capabilities. The turning circle is 14m in diameter.

The vehicle can be deployed from all Royal Marines landing craft and transported to the area of operations by C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster. The unladen Viking can be underslung and airlifted by an RAF Chinook helicopter. The Viking can be split into two sections in just 20 minutes to be carried by the Merlin helicopter.

The BvS10’s speed on flat terrain is comparable to that of a modern infantry fighting vehicle. The speed requirement specifications of 50km/h on level class A roads, 35km/h on tracks and 15km/h cross country have been exceeded in vehicle trials. The range on metalled roads is 300km.

Front and rear cabins

The front cabin of the BvS10 accommodates the driver at the front left, plus three fully equipped marines.

The rear and forward cabins are linked by a two-way voice communications unit. The rear cabin can carry eight fully equipped marines. Alternatively, the rear cabin can carry a mortar section, a heavy machine gun section or a fully equipped anti-tank detachment with Milan anti-armour missiles and firing posts. Both cabins are fully air-conditioned.

The vehicles are fitted with the General Dynamics UK Bowman digital communications system.

Reference Text/Photo:www.baesystems.com ,www.wikipedia.org

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