ASLAV-25

OddPhenomena · June 16, 2025, 4:21am

Would you like to see the ASLAV-25 in-game?

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Welcome to the suggestion for the ASLAV-25! This is an Australian reconnaissance vehicle derived from the LAV-25, armed with a 25 mm M242 as its main armament. In War Thunder, this would play as a light vehicle with excellent mobility and a gun able to deal with other light vehicles frontally, as well as MBTs from the side or rear. As for where it could go, it depends on what Gaijin decides to do with future Australian vehicles.

History

American LAV-25s during Exercise Solid Shield '85.

In the March 1987 Defence White Paper, a white paper outlining the Australian Department of Defence’s strategic plan over the following decade, the government stated that Australia’s northern defenses would have to be strengthened. For the ground element, this would be achieved by basing a highly mobile cavalry / reconnaissance unit in the Darwin area. A key component of this regiment would be a wheeled armored vehicle, capable of covering great distances during reconnaissance and surveillance missions. This led to the Wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicle (WAFV) project, with the main contenders being General Motors Canada’s LAV-25/LAV II, Steyr’s Pandur, and GIAT’s VAB.

In 1989 however, in an unexpected move, the Australian government approached the United States about buying LAV-25s directly from United States Marine Corps stocks. This was approved the same year, with the Australian Army ordering 14 LAV-25s and one LAV-R recovery vehicle from USMC stocks. These would be used for an evaluation and trial period of two years, notably to validate their use in northern Australia and their capability of working alongside existing tracked vehicles such as the M113A1. They were handed to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment’s Alpha Squadron to develop maintenance and operating procedures, as well as defining modifications required for Australian use. During these trials, the LAV-25s drove 6,500 km, with one troop returning from Tindal to Sydney on their own wheels, some 4,000 km. It was found that aside from some deficiencies, such as the tires being staked by the Australian bush, sweltering heat inside during daytime operations, and some hull fittings being easily damaged, the vehicles performed admirably. Later, the tire issue was solved by fitting spare tires on a carriage at the rear of the vehicle. This blocked the rear access door, but was not an issue, as the Australian Army never intended to use the vehicle as a troop transport.

The Australian Army purchased 97 LAVs from Canadian Commercial Corporation in August of 1991, with production subcontracted to General Motors Diesel Division at a cost of $125.84 million. The vehicle then entered service with the Australian Army as the ASLAV-25, or simply ASLAV. This is an abbreviation of Australian (AS is the NATO abbreviation for Australia) Light Armored Vehicle.

ASLAVs from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment maneuver through Tangi Valley, Afghanistan, March 29th, 2011.

In Australian service, the ASLAV is divided into three hull types, the first is the LAV-25 derived Type I, followed by the Type II, and Type III. The Type II includes infantry support vehicles such as the ASLAV-PC (Personnel Carrier), ASLAV-C (Command), ASLAV-S (Surveillance), and ASLAV-A (Ambulance). The Type III on the other hand, is used for engineering purposes by the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, with the ASLAV-F (Fitter) and ASLAV-R (Recovery) being the only variants.

The ASLAV-25’s main armament, as with the LAV-25, is the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster chain gun. It primarily fires High Explosive for suppression of infantry positions, and destroying light vehicles and (if possible) low flying helicopters. For heavier armored vehicles, the M242 can fire APDS, as well as APFSDS. Experiments with fitting the ASLAV-25 with the Delco TOW turret were done in the late 1990s, adding a BGM-71 TOW missile on either side of the turret, but this does not appear to have been fielded. Inside the turret, the gunner has access to a day/night thermal imaging sight, as well as a coaxial 7.62 mm Mag 58 machine gun. The commander has access to another Mag 58 mounted on the hatch above his position in the turret. For close defense, the vehicle also has access to 76 mm grenade launchers on both sides of the turret.

To enable the ASLAV to get around quickly, it is equipped with a 275 hp Detroit Diesel 6V53T engine, Allison MT653DR transmission and Michelin XML tires, enabling it to go up to 100 km/h on land. However, this is also in large part due to the vehicle’s armor. As the vehicle’s name implies, the ASLAV-25 is very lightly armored, only able to resist small arms fire.

ASLAV-25s with 2nd Battalion, RTR landing on Langham Beach, Queensland, as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre, July 16th, 2019.

Since entering service, the ASLAV has seen an increase in numbers to 257, and has been upgraded with thermal sights, integrated laser rangefinder, electric turret drives, and an improved suspension. In 1999-2000, the ASLAV was deployed to East Timor, and from 2001, to Afghanistan and Iraq. The ASLAV-25’s most notable action during these deployments was in Iraq, as part of SECDET (Security Detachment), where it protected the international zone (or ‘Green Zone’) in Baghdad. As the threat increased in mid-2004, SECDET grew from three ASLAVs to twelve, along with an increase in infantry force size from platoon to company-size. On April 13th, 2003, an ASLAV-25 engaged a mortar base plate firing at the Green Zone. The base plate was promptly neutralized with 25 mm fire, and the action was seen as enhancing protection in the area, while also being the first time the ASLAV-25 had fired its main armament in contact.

At home, the ASLAV has served as part of international exercises, especially with the United States, joining exercises such as Exercise Talisman Sabre and RIMPAC. However, as the 2010s started to end, the ASLAV was beginning to show its age, resulting in the Land 400 Phase 2 project. Four vehicles were looked at, with the Rheinmetall Boxer GTK being chosen to replace the 257 ASLAVs in service. The 25 vehicles delivered from Germany were split into 12 reconnaissance vehicles and 13 MPV (Multi-purpose vehicles), where they underwent modification before being delivered to the Australian Army, which happened for the first time on September 24th, 2019. Production of an additional 186 platforms began in late 2020 and early 2021 at the Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Ipswich, southwest of Brisbane.

Compared to the previous ASLAV-25, the Boxer reconnaissance variant is equipped with Rheinmetall’s Lance Medium Calibre Turret armed with a 30 mm MK 30-2/ABM, and from the Block II variant, will be equipped with the Iron Fist Active Protection System and Spike LR2 missiles. Internally, it has much more modern equipment and sensors, superior to the ASLAV-25 in nearly every way. Regardless, the ASLAV-25 continues to soldier on for the time being, still fulfilling the Australian Army’s mobile reconnaissance needs.