LVTP5A1 Amphibious APC, USA

Dragoon APC

The Dragoon wheeled APC is a product of the AV Technology Corporation and is based on the experience gained from the production and marketing of earlier vehicles, also under the Dragoon label,

The Dragoon is not a single vehicle but a family of wheeled armoured vehicles intended to meet most military and para-military requirements. All members of the family are based on an armoured steel monocoque hull with two side doors; the engine pack is at the rear. Most of the automotive and other components are based on commercially available or in-service military parts available world-wide.

The Dragoon is fully amphibious. Inside the hull there is seating for 11 occupants, plus the driver, with a roof hatch located behind the driver's position, A 12.7 mm MG can be ring- or pintlemounted over this roof hatch, although other weapons could be installed to allow the Dragoon APC to be used as a patrol or reconnaissance vehicle.

If required, the Dragoon APC can be provided with a MG or 40 mm grenade launcher turret, one version known as the Dragoon Light Forces Vehicle mounting a 90 mm gun and a coaxial MG (LFV-90 mm), although the crew of this model is limited to four,

The basic APC can be configured as an 81 mm mortar carrier with the mortar firing through side-opening roof hatches. The hull could also be used to accommodate communications or electronic warfare (EW) suites and a 1-tonne payload logistics carrier with a self-loading crane is available.

An armoured security vehicle (ASV) model known as the Dragoon Patroller, some with raised and extended cabs, has been procured by various American police forces, and a tank-destroyer ATGW carrier armed with TOW missiles has been proposed.

The US Army and Navy have obtained some Dragoon vehicles, as have Thailand and Canada.

The largest customer to date has been Venezuela who ordered 100 units.

Dragoon APC

Specification

Crew: 2

Seating: 10 Weight: (combat) 13,068 kg

Length: 5.89 m Width: 2.49m

Height: (hull top) 2.08 m

Ground clearance: 0.38 m Track: 1.98 m

Max speed: (road) 116 km/h Fuel capacity: 350 litres

Range:885 km

Fording: amphibious

Vertical obstacle: 0.61 m

Engine: Detroit Diesel 6V-53Tdiesel Power output: 300 hp Suspension: elliptical springs Armament: 1 x 12.7 mm MG Variants: See text