Alvis Piranha II IFV (1993) - the earliest efforts

[Sebbo_the_Plebbo]

[Would you like to see this in-game?]

• Yes
• No

A British built, Swiss designed vehicle with a US turret marketed to clients in the Middle East.

Introduction

In January 1991, GKN Defence (soon to become Alvis Vehicles) announced that Swiss company MOWAG had awarded them a contract to construct a significant number of Pirahna 8x8 AFVs for one of of MOWAGs middle eastern customers. This contract was for a total of 100 - 120 vehicles built by Alvis, of six different variants, to the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defence and Aviation (MODA). These included ambulance, recovery, surveillance, VIP APCs, and Mortar variants of the Piranha.

Following this successful partnership, MOWAG and Alvis signed an agreement which licensed Alvis to become a System Prime Contractor for the design, integration, production, and marketing of the Alvis Vehicles Piranha 8x8 for agreed customers.

Subsequently, Alvis enjoyed moderate success producing, marketing, and exporting the Piranha 8x8. In 1994, Oman ordered a total of 80 Alvis Piranhas, with an agreed option for 46 further vehicles.

As well as producing a variety of vehicles for middle eastern customers, Alvis fitted out their Piranha IIs in numerous unique configurations as part of demonstrations for the product, and mounted a variety of turrets to market the vehicle to potential export customers.

This suggestion is for the Alvis Piranha II as fitted with the Delco 25mm IFV turret, armed with twin TOW launchers and a 25mm M242 Bushmaster, as shown at British Army Equipment Exhibition 1993. Several versions of the Delco turret were used by Alvis to demonstrate their production line of the Piranha II, and what makes this variant unique is it is the earliest variant of the Delco 25mm turret as equipped with the TOW launchers on the turret. This gives the British tree the option of multiple unique wheeled IFVs, with this earliest 1993 variant, with the older Delco turret, being an option with no 25mm APFSDS and only basic TOWs, belonging at around 8.3 as a wheeled M3 Bradley.

This variant of the Alvis Piranha was marketed to potential export customers, but no purchasers were found, so the vehicle did not enter serial production.

Specifications

Spoiler

Chassis

Armament & Turret

Images

Spoiler

A slightly more refined variant of the Delco IFV turret, note the re-shaped TOW launchers and the different geometry on the turret front.

Sources

Spoiler

Jane’s Armour & Artillery 2000-01 p.510-511 (available here)

Jane’s Armour & Artillery 1993-94 p.685 (available here)

Alvis Piranha Marketing Brochure (available here)

LAV Delco 25mm Marketing Brochure (available here)

[ChieftainWarrior]

YES! absolutely +1

[BasherBenDawg8]

( @AlvisWisla Kek )

In all fairness this seems like a wonderful addition, basically the freccia if it didn’t have Spike-LR2. +1

[EL337GH0ST]

Since this one is British built, it can go in the British tech tree, with the ASLAV TOW variant going to the US tech tree.

[Silesian_Lynx]

More speed for UK +1

[Jarms]

If this doesn’t make it for whatever reason there’s also the ASLAV with the same Delco turret.

[PlayedStatue626-live]

+1 can’t say no to a unique addition

@Sebbo_the_Plebbo

A British built, Swiss designed vehicle with a US turret marketed to clients in the Middle East.

Globalism at it’s finest

[OddPhenomena]

I found a couple pictures regarding this vehicle. First off, a new image I found, interestingly labeled as the Desert Piranha.

Spoiler

Second, a picture of this vehicle, but without the ATGM launchers, meaning we could potentially get a second vehicle if we really wanted to stretch things.

Spoiler

[Sebbo_the_Plebbo]

Amazing pics, both of them!

I’ve been looking for a better pic of the no missiles turret for ages, all I’d found previously was this grainy old one

If we were to really stretch it, there’s actually 3 of these we could get.

No ATGMS:

Early Delco IFV turret:

And late Delco IFV turret (note the different shape of the missile tubes, as well as the different geometry on the front of the turret, the later turret has a layer of applique/spaced armour)

[BSpiel8-live]

@Sebbo_the_Plebbo

I’ve been looking for a better pic of the no missiles turret for ages, all I’d found previously was this grainy old one

I have a slightly better version taken from ТанкоМастер (TankoMaster) magazine No. 2/2001 (images not my own)

Seeing as though the IDEX 2001 section is titled a “photo report” by a “Mikhail Baryatinskiy”, I would assume that the photos featured within (and by extension, the Piranha II photo in question), are originals taken for this publication. The author also seems to have some other books under their name.

Regardless, obtaining this magazine and photoscanning it might yield the higher quality version you are looking for.

[Sebbo_the_Plebbo]

Really nice find, those pics are definitely a big step up in quality compared to the one I posted.

Knowing it’s at IDEX 2001 is also great info, I’ll have a good look for some more details, there’s bound to be some archival pictures/videos of the event that include the Alvis stand, it’s just a matter of finding which weird little website they are squirreled away on.