Wiesel AWC

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The Wiesel Armoured Weapons Carrier (AWC) is a German light air-transportable armoured fighting vehicle, more specifically a lightly armoured weapons carrier, produced by Rheinmetall.

The Wiesel has been used in several of the

The Wiesel was developed for the German Army to meet a requirement for an air-transportable light armored vehicle for use by its airborne troops, as the infantry of the German Bundeswehr, especially airborne infantry, were considered unprepared to successfully fight enemy main battle tanks (MBT) in the 1970s. The requirements were that the vehicle should fit in common NATO transport planes and could eventually be air-dropped. It should be able to fight infantry as well as enemy tanks or aircraft. Porsche produced some prototypes of the future fighting vehicle for the Bundeswehr in 1975, but the Bundeswehr stopped the project in 1978 due to lack of funds. Nevertheless, Porsche continued development, because of interest from other countries.

The Bundeswehr eventually ordered 343 of the vehicles in 1985.

The Wiesel 2 is an enlarged and extended version of the Wiesel 1 with five road wheels instead of four, and a more powerful engine. The Bundeswehr ordered 178 of the new vehicle in various types, including air defense, radar, and anti-aircraft missile launcher, 120 mm mortar carrier, command and fire control, and ambulance variants.[1] The Wiesel 2 entered service in 2001.

Configuration

Depending on the exact configuration, the Wiesel 1's length is about 3.55 metres (11.6 ft), height 1.82 metres (6.0 ft), and width 1.82 metres (6.0 ft). At only 2.75 metric tons (3.03 short tons), it weighs less than the armored variant of the U.S.

The

The larger Wiesel 2 has almost twice as much internal volume as its predecessor, and is about 4.78 metres (15.7 ft) long, 2.17 metres (7.1 ft) high (depending on type), and 1.87 metres (6.1 ft) wide.^[1] Its weight is approximately 4.78 metric tons (5.27 short tons) in its heaviest configuration.

Wiesel 1

Variants in service

• Wiesel 1 Aufklärung: reconnaissance
• Wiesel 1 ATM TOW: anti-tank vehicle fitted with
  TOW missiles
  • Wiesel 1 TOW: Updated with BMS
  • Wiesel 1 MELLS: TOW replaced by Spike
• Wiesel 1 MK20: fire support version with a
  Rheinmetall MK 20 Rh202 20mm autocannon
  • Wiesel 1 MK20 Variant 1: updated with new sight
  • Wiesel 1 MK20 Variant 2: updated with BMS
• Remotely controlled Wiesel 1 equipped with ground-scanning radar as part of the Route Clearance System

• Wiesel 2 Light Air Defence System (leichtes Flugabwehrsystem - LeFlaSys)[2]
  • Wiesel 2 Air Defence Command Post
  • Wiesel 2 Air Defence Reconnaissance and Fire Control Vehicle (RFCV): fitted with an air defence radar
  • Wiesel 2 Air Defence Weapon Carrier (Ozelot): fitted with air defence missile launchers (two box launchers containing four ready-to-fire FIM-92 Stingers, or, alternatively, a (currently unknown) number of vertical launch cells with LFK NG missiles)
• Wiesel 2 Ambulance
• Wiesel 2 Engineering Scout: combat engineer reconnaissance
• Wiesel 2 Command Post: battalion command post
• Wiesel 2 Advanced Mortar System
  • Wiesel 2 Company C2/ JFSCT: Command and control for combined and joint fire
  • Wiesel 2 Lightweight Armoured Mortar: 120 mm automatic laying weapon system
  • Wiesel 2 Joint Fire Support Team: Reconnaissance Vehicle

Prototypes and studies

• Wiesel 2 APC: 2 crew + 4 passengers armoured personnel carrier
• Wiesel 2 Argus: reconnaissance
• Wiesel 2 Carrier: ammunition resupply
• Wiesel 2 Primus: reconnaissance and fire control
• Wiesel 2 ATM HOT: anti-tank vehicle fitted with HOT missiles
• Wiesel 2 SYRANO: Robotic system for the French Army
• Wiesel 2 RMK 30: prototypes have been fitted with a Rheinmetall RMK30 recoilless autocannon

Gallery

• 
  Wiesel 1 prototype
• 
  Wiesel 1 TOW
• 
  Wiesel 2 Argus scout vehicle
• 
  Wiesel 2 ambulance
• 
  Wiesel 2 command post variant
• 
  Wiesel 2 lightweight armoured mortar of the advanced mortar system
• 
  Wiesel 2 Light Air Defence System Reconnaissance and Fire Control Vehicle (RFCV)
• 
  Ozelot air defence weapon carrier with camouflage in firing position
• 
  The silhouette of the Wiesel 1 (red) overlaid on that of the Wiesel 2 (blue)

Operators

•  Germany: Ordered 343 Wiesel 1s and 179 Wiesel 2s (148 delivered)

Notes

References

• Trewhitt, Philip (1999). Armored Fighting Vehicles. New York: Amber Books. p. 102.
  ISBN 0-7607-1260-3
  .

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wiesel AWC.

• Rheinmetall Defence Wiesel 1 Product Page
• Rheinmetall Defence Wiesel 2 Product Page