Cadillac Gage Commando Select 90mm DFV: A Modern Fire Support Car

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Cadillac Gage Commando Select 90mm DFV: A Modern Fire Support Car

History:

The history of this vehicle begins in the 1960s when Cadillac Gage (now Textron Marine and Land Systems) first developed the V-100 Commando light armored car. This 4x4 armored car would become one of the most popular and effective families of armored vehicles ever, spawning dozens of offshoots. Versions were made which acted as APCs, scout cars, command vehicles, armored ambulances, riot control, internal security, and tank destroying/fire support. As time went on, the Commando family of vehicles grew to include a new member: the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle. This was a specialized variant designed primarily for internal security and convoy support in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Built as a reaction to failures of unarmored Humvees in that role, the M1117 ASV took some time to be fully adopted, as it was much more expensive than even an armored Humvee. However, with the rise of IEDs in the Middle East, the casualties could no longer be ignored, and so the ASV was brought into service. It has since become a popular vehicle in its role, and continues to serve to this day.

It has had a few of its own variants as well, though not all of them have had as much success as the base model. One of these more specialized vehicles is the Commando Select 90mm Direct Fire Vehicle. This was first unveiled in 2013 at the annual Association of the US Army show. Textron had taken the standard M1117 and enlarged the turret ring to hold the Cockerill CSE 90LP two-man turret. Armed with the Cockerill Mk.3 90mm low-pressure gun, this turned the M1117 into a potent fire support vehicle. The first customer was the Afghan National Army, who ordered 50 through the US Foreign Military Sales program. Unfortunately this sale never went through, as first the sale was blocked due to the vehicle using Belgian-made components which needed to pass US testing, and later budgetary issues forced the matter closed. A few years passed and in 2017 negotiations were reopened with Afghanistan for a new purchase, along with a possible deal with Iraq.

Description:

The 90mm DFV makes use of a number of modern components to create a powerful yet mobile fire support vehicle. The main body of the vehicle remains the same as the M1117: a 4x4 mine resistant hull capable of holding a maximum of 10 occupants (though much of that space is now taken up by the turret and ammunition). The vehicle weighs in at approximately 29,560 lb (13,410 kg) with dimensions of 237 inches (6.0 m) long, 101 inches (2.6 m) wide, and 102 inches (2.6 m) tall. It mounts a 260HP Cummins 6CTA8.3 inline-6 diesel engine. Coupled to a 6-speed Allison 3500SP transmission, the 90mm DFV is capable of a maximum road speed of 100 km/h (62 mph). In terms of armor, the vehicle is protected by the MEXAS modular ceramic composite system, allowing it to be configured for a variety of requirements. At a minimum it is STANAG 4569-Level 1 approved, meaning it is protected against 7.62mm NATO ammunition. However it can be equipped with armor up to STANAG 4569-Level 4, giving it protection against 14.5mm AP projectiles and under-vehicle IED/AT mine blasts. The armament is contained within the CSE 90LP turret, consisting of a fully-stabilized Cockerill Mk.3 90mm rifled gun and a 7.62mm FN MAG machine gun. This gun is capable of firing all of the 90mm low-pressure ammunition for the Mk.3 gun (single-baffle muzzle brake) made by Mecar. This includes the M652A1 APFSDS-T, M620A1 HEAT-T, M625A1 HESH-T, M616A1 HE-T, and a smoke shell (couldn't find the name of it). The APFSDS is capable of penetrating 100mm of armor angled at 60 degrees at a distance of 1 km. The weapons system is equipped with a laser rangefinder, passive nighttime or thermal sights for the gunner are available, as well as night sights for the commander, who can also take control over the turret if required. Eight smoke dischargers are placed on the turret - four per side. The crew consists of three: driver, gunner, commander/loader.
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The 90mm ammo available. Shown but not mentioned are the HE-APERS-T and Canister rounds, as those aren’t relevant to War Thunder.

Specifications:

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Main Armament: 90mm Cockerill Mk.3 rifled low-pressure gun

Secondary Armament: 1x 7.62mm FN MAG light machine gun

Armor: STANAG 4569 protected, exact values not specified

Ammo Count: Exact values unknown

Engine: Cummins 6CTA8.3 inline-6 diesel, 260HP

Transmission: Allison 3500SP, 6 forward/1 reverse

Speed: 100 km/h (62 mph) on road, 72 km/h (45 mph) off road

Crew: 3 (Driver, Gunner, Commander/Loader)

Gallery:

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If there is anything I have missed or gotten incorrect, please let me know! I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I hope you will also check out my other suggestions! Thanks, and have a great day.


Sources:

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M1117 Armored Security Vehicle - Wikipedia

https://investor.textron.com/news/news-releases/press-release-details/2013/Textron-Marine--Land-Systems-Introduces-COMMANDO-Select-90mm-Direct-Fire-Armored-Vehicle-at-AUSA-2013/default.aspx

https://www.textronsystems.com/products/commando-family-products

https://www.textronsystems.com/sites/default/files/_documents/002_LAND SYSTEMS_CommandoFOV_2022_SINGLE DIGITAL-sm.pdf

Army Guide - Textron M&LS Introduces COMMANDO Select 90mm Direct Fire Armored Vehicle

https://www.textronsystems.com/sites/default/files/_documents/TS ML COMMANDO Select Datasheet_updates-v4.pdf

Commando Select 90mm Direct Fire Armored Vehicle Unveiled | Defense Media Network

https://www.army-technology.com/projects/commando-select-four-wheeled-armoured-vehicles/

CMI Defence to Exhibit New COMMANDO™ Select 90mm Direct Fire Vehicle at Eurosatory - John Cockerill

https://www.armyrecognition.com/us_army_wheeled_and_armoured_vehicle_uk/m1117_asv_guardian_security_armoured_vehicle_personnel_carrier_data_sheet_description_information_uk.html

https://johncockerill.com/en/defense-2/weapons-systems/cockerill-cse-90lp/

STANAG 4569 - Wikipedia

https://www.textronsystems.com/sites/default/files/_documents/TS_ML_COMMANDO_Family_Brochure.pdf

6 Likes

Some additional info on the M1117/Commando Select chassis Armor. From what I can find in a few documents. The base armor is the same Cadloy High Hardness Steel armor as the V-150. But apparently the additional added armor is a ceramic composite. Not to mention, according to the brochure from Textron for the Commando family, they offer modular armor kits for them too.

002_ LAND SYSTEMS_Commando Select_2022_SINGLE_DIGITAL.zip (2.4 MB)
002_LAND SYSTEMS_CommandoFOV_2022_SINGLE DIGITAL-sm_compressed.zip (3.4 MB)

ADA387741.zip (220.4 KB)
page 6

4 Likes

I think I covered that in my post, but that is all useful info!

More or less an AUBL but with stab, thermals and just enough armor to not get HMGed to death. Sounds good to me.

1 Like