Light Strike Vehicle

The Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) is an improved version of the Desert Patrol Vehicle (DPV) it replaced. Although the conventional US military replaced its DPVs with Humvees, special operation groups adopted the LSV for its small size and high mobility. It is part of the family of Internally Transportable Light Strike Vehicles (ITV-LSV).[1] It is used for fast hit-and-run style raids (as its name suggests), scouting missions, special forces support, and low intensity guerrilla warfare.

This article is about the type of military vehicle used primarily by the US military. For the Singaporean-built vehicle, see Light Strike Vehicle (Singapore).
Light Strike Vehicle
TypeLight Attack Vehicle
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service?–present
WarsWar on Terrorism
Production history
Designed?
ManufacturerChenowth Racing Products
Specifications
Mass960 kilograms
Length4.08 m
Width2.11 m
Height2.01 m
Crew1 driver and 1 gunner + 2 passengers
Main
armament
1X 12.7 mm M2 .50 caliber HMG, 1 x 5.56 mm M249 SAW LMG, 1 x 7.62 mm M60 or M240 series GPMG
Secondary
armament
2 x AT4 light Anti-Tank Weapons, or 1 x TOW
EngineDiesel
?
Power/weight?
Suspension?
Operational
range
500 km
Maximum speed 130 km/h on-road; 110 km/h off-road.

Design

Countermeasures

The LSV is entirely unarmored, and thus offers no protection from small arms fire. The driver and passengers sit side by side in front, with the gunner sitting in an elevated rear-central seat in front of the engine. The gunner's seat can spin around to operate the 7.62 mm GPMG.

Mobility

It can be air transported internally by CH-47 or CH-53 transport helicopters. The new ALSV has a more conventional appearance and differs from the original versions.

Armament

A 7.62 mm MG (often an M60E3) is mounted rear-facing on the back of the engines. If TOW is mounted, it replaces the third passenger and rollover cage. Two AT4 are sometimes fitted forward-facing on roll over cage bars (one on each side) above driver.

Users
Map with Light Strike Vehicle operators in blue with former operators in red

Unlike the DPV, the LSV has had export success and is marketed as a light attack vehicle. The current generation model is the ALSV, with the "A" standing for "advanced".[2] It is currently used by the United States Marine Corps, United States Army, United States Navy, and the armed forces of Greece, Mexico, Oman, Portugal, and Spain. The UK retired its LSVs in the mid-1990s.

Current operators

Former operators

See also

References
  1. Light Strike Vehicle
  2. Advanced Light Strike Vehicle overview Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine
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