Wiesel light armored vehicle

My suggestion for general purpose armored vehicle for the Philippine Army:

This is a relatively cheap (from 50k- 150k euros) light armored vehicle that comes in many variations and perfectly suited to Philippine terrain. The vehicle weighs only 3 tons and completely air transportable. German engineering makes it robust and versatile with cheap and commonly available automotive parts. The Wiesel 1 is currently serving well the German troop contingent in Afghanistan:

German Army Wiesel 1 in Afghanistan armed with TOW

Other variants:

Wiesel 1 armed with 20mm cannon


Wiesel 1 armed with Mauser RMK 30mm automatic cannon


Wiesel 1 fitted with French SAMM BTM 208 turret


Weapon platform Ozelot of the new German LeFlaSys on the MaK Wiesel 2 chassis with four Stinger SAM in ready to launch position

The 120mm mortar mounted on this modified Wiesel 2 chassis can be loaded, aimed and fired with the crew under complete protection


HOT ATM on Rheinmetall Landsysteme Wiesel 1 chassis with sensor pod raised


Wiesel 2 command and control vehicle showing raised roof and extended rear

Wiesel 2 ambulance from the rear with doors open to show interior


Ozelot weapon platform based on latest MaK Wiesel 2 chassis launches a Stinger SAM during trials


MaK Wiesel 2 The MaK Wiesel 2 can carry a total of six men and their equipment


Wiesels AWC Wiesel TOW A2 (left) and AWC Wiesel MK 20 A1 (right) being put through their paces

The Weisel is easy to repair and maintain:

Wiesels in Afghanistan. Note the different configurations.

'Light' is a misnomer. It should be called 'ultralight'. Makes you wonder how 6' tall and hefty German soldiers fit inside one.

The narrow tracks look flimsy but the versatility of that vehicle is simply impressive.

Any vehicle that provides protected mobility and firepower to the troops is a welcome addition. The Wiesel's extra small size will enable it to penetrate Philippine brush country deeper than any armored vehicle in its inventory.

Its a good vehicle to equip the country's first light mechanized battalion.

1st PA Light Mechanized Regiment..aaah wake me up later...

40 Wiesel Troop Carriers

14 Wiesel 120mm mortar variant

10 Wiesel TOW

10 Wiesel 30mm autocannon

16 Wiesel Multi Purpose

4 Wiesel Recon

4 Wiesel Ambulance

2 Wiesel Command and Control

Found this info:

http://www.d-2-128.org/armorid/wiesel.html

German 'Wiesel' AAV
AAV = Airportable Armored Vehicle

Recognition Features:

* Well sloped glacis plate with engine front left and driver right, TOW ATGW on pedestal mount over open horizontal roof at rear (other variants could have mortar or turrets equipped with machine guns, automatic cannons or AA(Stinger) Missiles)

* Hull sides slope inwards to above track guards with exhaust outlet on left side, horzontal louvers with exhaust pipe to immediate rear with gauze-type cover, right side of hull above tracks has spade

* Suspension each side has three large evenly spaced road wheels (Wiesel 2 Extended Base Vehicle for some variants has four road wheels each side), large idler rear, small drive sprocket front, one support roller above first and second road wheel (Wiesel 2 Extended Base Vehicle for some variants has two support rollers)

Specifications:

Crew: 3
Armament: 1 TOW ATGW launcher with 7 missiles or two man turret with 20 mm cannon with 160 rounds (other variants also available)

Length, hull: 3.31 meters (10'-10" *F.T.M.C.)

Width: 1.82 meters (6'-0" *F.T.M.C.)

Height, overall (TOW version): 1.897 meters (6'-3" *F.T.M.C.)

Weight, combat: 2,800 kg (6,160 lbs. (3.1 tons) *F.T.M.C.)

Max. road speed: 75 km/hr (47 mph *F.T.M.C.)
* F.T.M.C. = For The Metrically Challenged

Development/Layout:

The Wiesel airportable, light armored vehicle was developed for German Airborne units by Porsche but production is undertaken by MaK with the first of an initial order of 345 vehicles delivered in 1989. That initial order was for 210 TOW versions and 135 with the 20 mm cannon.

Porsche designed the Wiesel to be built with many commercially available automotive parts. The intention was that in the event of a war the Wiesel could pull into nearly any civilian automotive repair shop in Germany (and much of Europe) and be able to find many of the repair parts it would need.

Further development has resulted in the Wiesel 2 (Extended Base Vehicle). The Wiesel 2 has a longer hull and an additional road wheel.

In 1995 the German Army ordered an air defense version, called the 'Ozelot' (Ocelot) of the Wiesel 2 with four Stinger SAM in ready to launch position. 50 have been ordered (along with 10 platoon CPs and 7 battery CPs all on Wiesel 2 chassis). First production units are to be completed in 2000 with final deliveries in 2003. The 'Ozelot' can also fire SA-16 Gimlet (Igla 1) because Germany has a large stock of them left from the former East German Army.

Other variants that have been developed include a mortar carrier, HOT ATGW, recon vehicle with BTM 208 turret, air defense with Bofors RBS-70 SAM. The Wiesel is suitable for adaptation as a command and control vehicle, battlefield surveillance with radar, resupply vehicle, recovery, ambulance and APC.

The United States Army took delivery of a small number of Wiesels for trials.

Status:

In service with Germany.
U.S. Army purchased several.
Some Wiesels have served with UN forces.

Nice dream RT.

Beats riding a dilapidated Humvee or an open, unarmed truck any time.

In an ambush scenario, some Wiesels in the convoy might be disabled in the first volley but the others can immediately maneuver to engage and even chase retreating enemy owing to its agility and speed which is fast for a tracked vehicle.

surprise...Wiesel under evaluation in the Philippines

surprise...Wiesel under evaluation in the Philippines

You're kidding man...hmmm...bananas and what looks like terraced rice paddies...Malaysia, Thailand or Indonesia?

Yup, very good vehicle, especially for our terrain.
Some of those Wiesel pics I haven't seen yet. Nice.

Two relatively simple fire support variants I'd like to see here:
1) turret w/ .50cal MG + 40mm AGL
2) 106mm recoilless rifle mount

It will need an RPG-resistant 'cage' (have the Germans tried this, or would the added weight be too much for the tiny Wiesel to bear?).

Wiesel side by side with a normal-sized wheeled APC in afghanistan

Plenty of RPGs in Afghanistan but the Germans arent using slat armor on their wheeled and tracked vehicles.

That Wiesel looks like a toy tank beside that Pandur APC.

I would like to buy one when that becomes surplus. 75kph in Metro Manila traffic is not bad.