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Background – Armoured Vehicle, General Purpose
– 6x6 AVGPs |
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'Armoured Vehicle, General Purpose' – the Swiss-designed Mowag Piranha 6x6s in
Canadian Service
The 6x6 Mowag Piranha was chosen [1] as the basis for a new family of CF wheeled armoured vehicles
in 1977. Licenced production was undertaken by GM Canada's Diesel Division of London, Ontario [2] between 1979
and 1982 as the AVGP family. Three types were built: the Grizzly ISC infantry section carrier or APC (269 built), large-gunned Cougar tank trainers (195 built), and Husky repair / recovery vehicles (27 built). The three
AVGP variants differed from each other primarily by turret types or specialty equipment fitted. They shared
the same basic hull arrangement and running gear. A diesel engine was mounted in the right front of the hull.
The driver sat to the left of the engine and selected either four-rear-wheel drive for road travel or six-wheel
drive for off-road. The crew commander sat directly behind the driver or in the Cougar turret.
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Any Road for the 'Boat' –"... drive far off the barb'rous dissonance"
The AVGP's 215 hp/160 kW Detroit Diesel engine was similar to that of the tracked M113 powerplant as was
its 4-spd Allison automatic transmission. Initially, the AVGPs were seen as Reserve equivalents to the
Regular Force's M113s. One obvious difference
was how the vehicles swam. M113s were track swimmers while AVGPs had twin propellers on the
rear hull corners and a retractable trim vane on their nose. The hydrodynamic shape of the lower hull partly
inspired the AVGPs' nickname: the "Boat".
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Into the Fray – the AVGP in CF Regular Force Service
When introduced in 1976, wheeled AVGPs were meant to provide the Reserves with training vehicles that were less
maintenance-intensive than tracked armour. Those same characteristics made these AVGPs appealing for overseas
deployments on Regular Force peacekeeping missions – AVGPs serving in Cypress, Somalia, the Balkans,
Rwanda, and elsewhere. After nearly two decades in service, the AVGPs were upgraded with the strengthened running
gear components of their 8x8 stablemate, the Bison. Later, the 'Wheeled LAV Life Extension' sought to prolong the useful service of AVGPs and Bison.
The WLAV-LE was seen as generally successful for the latter but a failure for the AVGPs. Much energy and money went
into refurbishing and re-roling AVGPs only to have them withdrawn from service.
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AVGP (Armoured Vehicle, General Purpose)
Specifications
Powerplant:
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5.2 litre 6-cyl. 215 hp (160 kW) Detroit
Diesel
6V-53 [ upgraded to 275 hp / 205 kW 6V-53T ] |
| Trans.: |
Allison MT 653 automatic ( 4 speeds + 1 rev. ) |
Dimensions:
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Length: 5.97 m, width: 2.50 m, height:
Grizzly
2.53 m, Cougar 2.62m, Husky 2.69 m (hull top) |
Armament:
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Grizzly: '1 M' turret (1 x 12.7mm +
1 x 7.62mm)
Cougar: Alvis turret (76mm L23A1 + 7.62mm)
Husky: pintle-mounted
7.62mm MG (optional ) |
| Performance: |
100 km/h (road) / 7 km/h (swim),
600 km range |
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[1] DND lists the date of AVGP service entry as 1976. In fact, the agreement between General Motors Canada and
Swiss-based Mowag to licence-produce the 6x6 Piranha I was not signed until August of 1976 with the Canadian
Forces selecting this vehicle the following year.
[2] Now General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada. In August 1999, Diesel Division, General Motors of Canada
Limited (DDGM), acquired Mowag ( Motorwagenfabrik AG ). Then as part of GM Defense, DDGM was bought
by General Dynamics Land Systems in March 2003.
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