Bison Armoured Vehicle

Variants: 32 Bison Ambulances 32 Bison Mobile Repair Team vehicles 32 Bison Recovery vehicles 25 Bison Electronic Warfare vehicles 4 Bison NBC Reconnaissance vehicles Armament: 7.62mm C6 machine gun (C6) Command Post: C9A1 machine gun Ambulance: Nil Other variants: 2006-05-30 All except ambulance: 76-mm grenade launcher (2 clusters of 4 launchers)

Specifications: Crew: 2 (driver and commander) Length: 6.5 m Width: 2.6 m Height: 2.6 m Weight: 13 tonnes Maximum speed: Land: 100 km/h, Water: 10 km/h Range: 650 km Engine: 275 hp Detroit Diesel 6V53T two-cycle turbo-charged diesel Transmission: Allison 5 speed MT653 Maximum grade: 60% Drive: full-time 4-wheel, selective 8-wheel Entered service: 1990

Description/History

The Bison is an eight-wheeled armoured vehicle originally designed as an infantry section carrier. The Bisons are now being converted into support variants for the new Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV III).These variants will include Ambulance, Electronic Warfare, Mobile Repair Team, Maintenance and Recovery, and NBC Reconnaissance.

The new variants will come equipped with an upgrade in engine power, new torsion bars, fittings for add-on armour, air conditioning, and the VRS respirator system for NBC defence. Delivery of the upgraded vehicles will take place in stages from 2002-2008.