ASCOD AFV

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ASCOD Pizarro
The ASCOD Pizarro IFV
Type	Armoured Fighting Vehicle
Place of origin	Austria and Spain
Specifications
Weight	28 tonnes (30.9 short tons)
Length	6.24 m (26 ft)
Width	3.64 m (12 ft)
Height	2.43 m (8 ft)
Crew	3 + 7 Passengers
Armour	secret
Primary armament	30 mm Mauser MK 30-2
Secondary armament	MG3 7,62 mm (Pizarro) MG74 7,62 mm (Ulan)
Engine	diesel 600hp (Pizarro) 720 (Ulan)
Suspension	torsion bar
Speed	Road: 72 km/h

The ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Cooperation Development) AFV family is the product of a cooperation agreement between Austrian Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG (in 1998 the production of heavy armed vehicles was sold out under the name "Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug", which is now the producer) and Spanish Santa Bárbara Sistemas. The ASCOD family includes a 105 mm gun Light Tank LT 105, a SAM launcher, an AT missile launcher, mortar carrier, R&R vehicle, Command & Control vehicle, ambulance, artillery observer and the AIFV model.

[edit] Developement History

The ASCOD Pizarro was designed to replace the older light armoured fighting vehicles of the Austrian and Spanish armies, such as the M113 armoured personnel carrier. The Ulan, the Austrian version of the Pizarro, would provide a flexible compliment to their heavy Leopard 2A4. The Ulan would allow the Austrian army to deploy rapidly and effectively over longer distances, espcially for forseeable future operations - such as Kosovo, or another trouble spot^[1]. The first prototype of the ASCOD IFV was ready and tested by 1992 and production was possible only four years later^[2]. The ASCOD was a very modern solution to bring both the Austrian and Spanish armour up to date. To put this into perspective, the Pizarro project was a part of the greater Project CORAZA (Project Armour) which was to replace Spain's M113 APCs, M60A3s, and M110 artillery pieces^[3]. A similar upgrade program was also concurrently underway in Austria. By 2005 the Austrian army was equipped with 112 Ulan vehicles^[4] and Spain with 143^[5]. In 2004 the Spanish Ministry of Defence ordered another 212 Pizarros for 707.5 million Euros^[6], with up to 900 units total planned^[7].

Spanish Pizarro in Madrid, 2006.

The Pizarro mounts a 30mm Mauser cannon in a fully traversable electro-mechanical turret. The 30mm cannon, stabalized on two planes, is able to fire on the move at a rate of up 800 rounds per minute. It also carries a 7.92mm machine gun as a secondary armament, carrying up to 205 rounds for the 30mm gun and 700mm for the 7.92mm machine gun. This armament is comparable to that of the M2 Bradley and the CV90, and preformed well in a Norwegian vehicles trial, although it ultimately lost to the Swedish CV90. The gun uses the Mk-10 fire control system from Indra, which has a full solution digital ballistic computer, day channel, thermal channel and laser rangefinder. Future versions of the Mk-10 will be fitted with a new VC2 thermal imager^[8]. The ASCOD Pizarro is also very well armoured, with a thick steel armour casing protected against up to 14mm bullets at 500 meters^[9], with all around protection against 7.92mm ammunition^[10]. Furthermore, the turret has two grenade launchers on either side to fire smoke grenades. The Pizarro is also fitted with limited amounts of SABBLIR reactive armour and might be upgraded with more later^[11]. However, with appliqué steel plates fitted it can be protected against 30mm APDS^[12].

In terms of mobility, the Spanish Pizarro is fitted with a 600 horsepower engine, while the Austrian Ulan includes a 720 horsepower engine. The smaller Spanish engine gives it a power to weight ratio of 21, and the larger engine one of 25, offering both vehicles excellent mobility. Both versions use a Renk HSWL 106C hydro-mechanical transmission, and torsion bar suspension^[13]. The Pizarro can go a maximum velocity of 70 km/h, and a maximum reverse velocity of 35 km/h^[14].

The Spanish Pizarro is designed to replace the American M113, such as the one illustrated in this photograph.

[edit] Deployment History

There have been at least 112 units deployed in the Austrian Army, as well as around 143 deployed with the Spanish Army. It has been deployed to Kosovo in Operation Alfa-Romeo, where they disembarked at Durres, Albania. They have also been publically displayed during the National Day Parade in Madrid. It's very likely that they will be deployed to future UN and NATO operations throughout the world.

[edit] Variants

• Pizarro - Spanish version of the IFV
• Ulan - Austrian version of the IFV
• LT-105 Light Tank - A light tank, designed for the export market, with a 105mm gun. 15 have been sold to the Royal Thai Army. The turret was designed by General Dynamics^[15].
• VCOAV - (Vehículo de Observación Avanzada) Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle
• VCREC - Recovery vehicle
• VCZ - Engineerng vehicle

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

Candil, Antonio J. "Spain's Armor Force Modernizes" in Armor, March 1, 1998. Fort Knox, KY: US Army Armor Center. ISSN 0004-2420.
"Quo Vadis Armour?" in Military Technology, November 1, 2003.

Army Technology
Spain's Ministry of Defence
¿INFANTERÍA MECANIZADA?
Pizarro IFV
Santa Bárbara Sistemas

[edit] External links

• Technical data sheet and pictures Spanish Pizarro from ArmyRecognition.com