Mowag Piranha

The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss company MOWAG (since April 2010 the name has changed to General Dynamics European Land Systems - Mowag GmbH).

Five generations of vehicles have been produced, manufactured by Mowag or under licence by other companies, and variants are in service with military forces throughout the world.

Variants
Piranhas are available in 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, and 10x10 wheel versions. There are several variants within these versions, giving different degrees of armour protection and several kinds of turret, for use in a variety of roles. Piranha derivatives have been assigned roles as troop transports, command vehicles, fire support vehicles, tank trainers, and police vehicles.

Piranhas are used by the Swiss Army. Swiss-built Piranha derivatives have been exported to Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, Romania, Spain and Belgium. The Romanian Army and the Belgian Army have selected the Piranha IIIC 8x8. It has decided to convert to all wheeled vehicles, simultaneously removing the current main battle armoured transporter TAB and Leopard 1 battle tanks, from the inventory. In total 242 vehicles will be delivered, of which 104 are options.

Piranha derivatives have been manufactured under licence by General Dynamics (Canada), BAE Systems Land Systems (UK), Komatsu (Japan), Cardoen and FAMAE (Chile), and in the USA. The 8x8 US Army Stryker vehicle is derived from the Canadian LAV III which in turn is based on the Piranha, as is the LAV-25 family in service with the USMC. The Australian Defence Force also has its own modified version of the Piranha I 8x8 known as the ASLAV (Australian Light Armoured Vehicle). The ASLAV is operated by two cavalry regiments (the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and 2nd/14th Light Horse Regiment) and is used in the armoured reconnaissance and armoured personnel carrier roles.

Some variants, like the United States Marine Corps's Light Armored Vehicle-25 (LAV-25) and its derivatives, are equipped with propellers for amphibious use, though their swimming capability is restricted to sheltered waters.

A new Piranha V version, weighing in between 25 to 30 tons, was announced as the provisional winner of the British Army's FRES program on 8 May 2008. However, this was withdrawn seven months later and bidding has started again.

General Dynamics European Land Systems launched their new Piranha Class 5 at EUROSATORY 2010 on 15 June and it is reported that the British MoD are showing renewed interest but struggle with budget constraints.

MOWAG Piranha 4x4 IB
The 'MOWAG Piranha 4x4 IB' was an armored personnel carrier.

To complete the Piranha 1 Family of 1974, the Piranha 4x4 IB was designed as a light vehicle with the purpose of a rapid reconnaissance and attack vehicle. It could take part in amphibious operations thanks to twin propellers. and could operate in NBC contaminated areas. The Piranha 4x4 was also designed to meet police needs. In addition, the MOWAG Grenadier and Mowag Spy sub-versions were also developed. The prototype of the Piranha 4x4 IB went through numerous tests and received different equipment and different engines. Due to the rapid technological developments and adjustments to requirements for military vehicles no Piranha with gasoline engine was sold. The prototype is now in the Full Military Museum.

MOWAG Piranha IB 6x6
The first Piranha prototype ever built was the 6x6 IB in 1972. It can be seen as a milestone for the Piranha series due to various technical innovation like (at the time) modern designed drive with independent suspension, compact power unit in the right front and (as an amphibian drive) being powered by two propellers. This prototype was demonstrated with different engines and features for potential customers such as the Canadian Army. In the Swiss Army the Piranha 6x6 is used as an ambulance, C3 command vehicle and together with the BGM-71 TOW as a Tank Destroyer. The prototype is along with an ambulance Piranha 6x6 on display in the Full Military Museum.

Users
 * Swiss Army
 * Canadian Army
 * Police Unit Diamond
 * Zurich Cantonal Police

MOWAG Piranha IIIC 10x10
The MOWAG Piranha IIIC 10x10 is a wheeled tank of the Swiss manufacturer MOWAG.

With the continuous evolution of piranhas because of the increasing demands and the setting of the project Mowag Shark as heavy weapons carrier, the capacity limit has been reached with respect to payload. With the built in 1994 built Piranha 10x10 tried to bear this in mind, using a 5th Axis of the same type has been installed. Basically, the Piranha 10x10 was designed as a heavy weapons support, but only a small series was built, for example, for Sweden as a command tank and transmission Kapris LIRKA tanks. The Piranha IIIC 10x10 marked an important development step for Piranha IIIC8x8. The prototype of the Piranha IIIC 10x10, participated in various tests, including in Sweden, now stands in the military museum in Full / Fort Reuenthal.

Operators

 * 🇦🇺 Australian Army - 257 ASLAV
 * 🇧🇪 Belgian Army - 242 Piranha IIIC 8x8 in 7 versions ordered.
 * 🇧🇼 Botswana Defence Force - 45 Piranha IIIC.
 * 🇧🇷 Brazilian Marine Corps - 30 Piranha IIIC.
 * 🇨🇦 Canadian Army - 491 AVGP, 199 Bison.
 * 🇨🇱 Chilean army. 240 Piraña I 6x6 and 125 Piraña I 8x8.
 * 🇩🇰 Danish Army - 18 Piranha IIIH, and 115 Piranha IIIC; all fitted with the Lemur 12.7mm OHW.
 * 🇬🇭 Ghana Army - 63 Piranha I.
 * 🇮🇪 Irish Army - 80 Piranha IIIH in 6 versions.
 * 🇲🇨 Monégasque Carabiniers - 2 Piranha V.
 * 🇴🇲 Royal Army of Oman - 174 Piranha II in 7 versions.
 * 🇷🇴 Romanian Land Forces - 33 Piranha IIIC.
 * 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabian National Guard - 1,117 LAV/Piranha II in 10 versions; another 132 ordered.
 * 🇪🇸 Spanish Navy Marines - 39 Piranha IIIC.
 * 🇸🇪 Swedish Army - 33 Piranha IIIC.
 * 🇺🇸 U.S. Marine Corps
 * 🇨🇭 Swiss Army
 * 🇺🇳 United Nations

Family tree

 * Piranha I
 * AVGP
 * LAV-25
 * ASLAV
 * Piranha II
 * Bison
 * Coyote
 * Desert Piranha
 * LAV II
 * Piranha III
 * Piranha IIIC
 * Piranha IIIH
 * LAV III
 * Stryker
 * NZLAV
 * Piranha IV
 * Piranha V

Comparable vehicles

 * Otokar Arma
 * AMX 10 RC
 * Nexter VBCI
 * Pandur II
 * Pandur I
 * FNSS Pars
 * LAV 600
 * LAV III
 * Stryker
 * NZLAV
 * Mobile Gun System
 * ASLAV
 * LAV-25
 * Lazar 2
 * BTR-80
 * BTR-90
 * Patria Pasi aka Sisu Pasi
 * Patria AMV
 * KTO Rosomak
 * Pindad Panser
 * Al-Fahd