Bandvagn 206

US Marines in a Norwegian Bv 206 traveling through snow
Diagram of the Bv 206
This tracked vehicle, a Swedish Hägglunds Bv206, achieves low ground pressure through full-length, wide rubber tracks and a lightweight body. The two sections of the vehicle are articulated, allowing it to keep contact with the ground over broken terrain. The ground pressure is low enough that the vehicle can traverse loose snow without sinking. The vehicle is amphibious, and propelled in water by its tracks.
An armored Bv206S ambulance of the German Army
A Bv206D being transported by a German Army CH-53

Bandvagn 206 (Bv 206) is a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier developed by Hägglunds (now part of BAE Systems Global Combat Systems) for the Swedish Army. It consists of two units, with all four tracks powered. It can carry up to 17 people (6 in the front compartment, 11 in the rear), and the trailer unit can be adapted for different applications (see Variants section).

History

Development of the Bv 206 all-terrain articulated tracked carrier began in 1974. Three batches of trial vehicles were delivered between 1976 and 1978 and the first production examples were delivered to the Swedish Defense Administration in 1980.

Like its predecessor, the Volvo Bv 202, the Bv 206 is designed to carry troops and equipment through snow and bog-lands in northern Sweden. The low ground pressure enables the Bv 206 to cope with a wide range of difficult conditions. It is also fully amphibious, with a speed in water of up to 4.7 km/h. Over 11,000 have been produced and they are used in more than 37 countries worldwide.

The total load capacity is 2,250 kg and a trailer of up to 2,500 kg gross weight can also be towed behind the second compartment.

The Bv 206 is referred to as a Small Unit Support Vehicle (SUSV) pronounced "susvee" in United States service. U.S. military variants include the ambulance variant, the flat-bed cargo carrier, tactical operations center variant, and the standard model. U.S. military models are fitted with a 6-cylinder Mercedes diesel engine and a non-halon fire suppression system since 1997 due to several cases where the front car caught fire and burned to the frame.

Additional users include the American and Australian Antarctic research organizations and British, Icelandic and Canadian search and rescue services. They are also used for search and rescue services in the Australian alpine region. As well, the Bv 206 was used in combat by the Canadian Forces during Operation Anaconda. The Singapore Armed Forces also uses the Bv 206 and recently transferred several of them to the Singapore Civil Defense Force to be used as a firefighting platform.

Decommissioned models have been purchased by private owners and rented as transports, particularly in Alberta, Canada, in order to access remote oil wells, as well as cut blocks which need to be reforested by treeplanting.

The Bv 206 is used in Antarctica, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Indonesia, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Variants

Bv 206A

The Bv206A is an ambulance version, which is capable of carrying stretchers in the rear compartment.

Bv 206F

The BV206F is a fire appliance variant.

RaBv 2061

The RaBv 2061 (RadioBandvagn 2061) is a Swedish Army communications/command version, fitted with radio equipment and workplaces for staff members.

PvBv 2062

The PvBv 2062 (PansarvärnsBandvagn 2062) is a Swedish Army anti-tank vehicle, an open top version of the Bv 206 armed with a 90 mm Pvpj 1110 recoilless anti-tank gun.

PvBv 2063

The PvBv 2063 (PansarvärnsBandvagn 2062) is another Swedish Army anti-tank vehicle, similar to PvBv 2062, but fitted with the launch system for an ATGM, either the TOW (Rbs 55) or the Bofors BILL (Rbs 56).

Bv 206S

The Bv206S is an armoured personnel carrier variant of the Bv 206, which provides protection from small arms fire for the occupants. It is in service with the armed forces of France, Germany (379 Bv 206D/S ordered), Spain, Netherlands, Italy (189 units), Sweden (50 units), Greece (Bv 208) and Singapore (300 units), which has replaced with the Bronco All Terrain Tracked Carrier.

Using a Steyr M1-"Monoblock" engine (6-cylinder, 130 kW),[1] the vehicle can carry the driver and 12 combat equipped troops — four in the front compartment and eight in the rear. The Bv 206S can be under slung and air lifted by Boeing CH-47 Chinook and Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters or carried in the C130 Hercules airplane, amongst others.

Canadian troops taking part in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan made good use of this vehicle, riding over rough mountainous terrain with full combat gear, allowing the men to avoid the exhaustion they would have felt moving on foot at such high altitudes and in such conditions.

BvS 10

Main article: BvS 10

The BvS 10, not to be confused with the Bv 206 or Bv 206S, is a much larger (therefore equipped with a 6-cylinder Steyr M1 engine with 200 kW[2]) and fully amphibious armoured vehicle based upon the characteristic twin-cab, articulated steering system typical of Hägglunds all terrain vehicles. It was originally designed for the British Royal Marines Commandos and named All Terrain Vehicle (Protected) - ATV(P) VIKING. It is in service with the Royal Marines Armoured Support Group and the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps while the French Army have recently ordered 130 Bvs10s.

Other variants

Numerous other variants exist including mortar launcher, cargo carrier, fuel carrier, radar, command post and radio relay. The units can easily be customized to meet the specific needs of a customer.

Specifications (original version)

Operators

Map of Bandvagn 206 operators in blue

Current operators

Civilian operators

See also

Similar vehicles with the Bv206 ATV include:

References

  1. ↑ BAE Haegglund Bv206 M16 TCI HD: Steyr-Motors.com
  2. ↑ BAE Haegglund BVS 10 M16 SCI: Steyr-Motors.com
  3. ↑ http://www.dfmagazine.ie/site-assets/uploads/Vol._69_No._4_-_May_2009.pdf
  4. ↑ http://www.imagli.com/p/1087647865967041703_941572902

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hägglunds Bv206.
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