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Military


M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV)
Guardian ASV-150
Dragoon Light Forces Vehicle

The M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV) is an armored and turreted all-wheel drive vehicle that supports military police and convoy missions and operations. The ASV provides protection to the crew compartment, gunner's station, and the ammunition storage area. The turret is fully enclosed with a 40mm Mk 19 Mod 3 grenade machine gun, a .50-caliber M2 machine gun (M48 turret-type), and a multi-salvo smoke grenade launcher. The ASV provides ballistic, blast, and overhead protection for its 4-person crew. The ASV has a payload of 3,360 pounds, 400-mile-plus range, top speed of nearly 70 miles per hour, and C-17 deployability.

As recently as 1991 M1117 was marketed as the Dragoon Light Forces Vehicle, is a variant of the basic Dragoon Armored Security Vehlcle {ASV}. The LFV-1 variant was fitted with a one-man dual machine gun turret, while the LFV-2 variant was fitted with a two-man dual gun turret, with either a 25mm auto or 90mm cannon, along with a coaxial machine gun [either 7.62mm or .50 caliber]. The basic configuration provides seating for up to six occupants. Stowage is provided for weapons, ammunition, field rations. personal gear and other mission related equipment. Provision is made for the installation ot most vehicular radio communications systems, including multi-station intercoms. At its gross vehicle weight rating {GVW) oi 28,000 lbs.. the Dragoon is capable of highway speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour. The exclusive Dragoon Power Pack system permits removal of the engine, transmission, coolmg, hydraulic and electrical systems as an integral unit, providing maintenance personnel with ground access to all major systems. The extensive use of field-proven military and heavy duty commercial components assures a ready supply ot replacement parts. All Dragoon Armored Vehicle models are designed for functional simplicity and parts interchangeability. The Central Tire Inflation System {CTIS} automatically regulates the tire pressure at each wheel to adapt to most terrain conditions. The Dragoon LFV may be equipped with a variety ot other options and features to meet special requirements and user specifications.

M1117 is the US military designation for what was originally marketed as the Guardian Armored Security Vehicle 150 (Guardian ASV-150). Textron Marine and Land Systems subsequently adopted the military designation in its marketing literature and developed an expanded Armored Security Vehicle family, based on an extended hull. This family of vehicles included command and control, armored personnel carrier, reconnaissance vehicle, and maintenance vehicle variants and also served as the basis for the Mobile Strike Force Vehicle (MSFV) family developed initially for the Afghan National Army. A variant of the M1117 was also developed for US Army Combat Observation/Lasing Teams (COLTs), which became the M1200 Armored Knight.

The Guardian Armored Security Vehicle 150 (Guardian ASV-150) is an armored wheeled vehicle equipped with a turret and armament system that was designed to meet the security mission requirements of the US Army's Military Police Corps. The ASV-150 is a 4-wheel drive vehicle equipped with a 260 horsepower diesel engine, 6 speed automatic transmision, and all wheel independent suspension, which offers a quality ride while providing superior mobility, agility and handling. The ASV-150 turret is equipped with an improved 40mm Mk 19 Mod 3 grenade machine gun and .50 caliber M2 machine gun. It can be traversed 360 degrees and the weapons elevated between 10 degrees of depression to 60 degrees of elevation. The vehicle features roll-on/roll-off C-130 tranportability in the fully operational configuration.

The ASV-150 is a lightly armored, all wheel drive vehicle that provides ballistic protection for the Military Police crew members against various threats. These threats include: 7.62mm ball ammunition for the entire vehicle; 12.7mm armor piercing ammunition to the crew compartment, weapons station and ammunition storage area; overhead protection from 60mm mortar fragments at 10 meters radius of burst, as a minimum, and 155mm artillery air-burst at 15 meters radius of burst. Protection is also required against anti-personnel mines and anti-tank mines up to an equivalent of 12 pounds of TNT.

The ASV-150 is designed to provided maximum survivability with IBD Modular Expandable Armor System (MEXIS) utilizing ceramic composite applique on exterior and a spall liner on interior surfaces. Simula was subcontracted by Textron Systems to produce lightweight ceramic/composite applique armor kits. The external armor panels provide ballistic protection against various small-arms and fragment threats with a minimum weight penalty.

The ASV-150 employs, as organic weapons, the 40mm Mk 19 Mod 3 grenade machine gun and the .50 caliber M2 machine gun in the turret, as well as provisions for the 5.56mm M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The ASV-150 has a payload of 3,360 pounds. The ASV-150 operates on standard JP8 diesel fuels, is capable of being towed, performs self-recovery, can recover equivalent vehicles and mounts a tow pintle rated at 500 pounds. The system was designed to accept existing and programmed tactical radio systems with appropriate encryption equipment. The vehicle operates with specified loads under an on-road/off-road mission profile of 50 percent primary roads, 30 percent secondary roads, and 20 percent cross-country conditions.

The ASV-150 is transportable (roll-on/roll-off) by C-130 and larger aircraft, rail, highway and marine transport modes. The ASV-150 was expected to be employed by Military Police 3-man teams designed to perform missions across the entire operational continuum. The Military Police units programmed to receive the ASV perform their 4 battlefield missions (area security, battlefield circulation control, enemy prisoner of war operations and law and order operations) regardless of the level of combat intensity on the operational continuum. ASV-150 equipped units would conduct Air-Land Battle/Air-Land Operations (ALO) (at one end of the level of combat intensity continuum) or they would perform force protection and stabilization operations occurring in a low intensity conflict (LIC)/operations short of war contingency environment (at the opposite end of the continuum).

The ASV payload requirement was established at 3,360 pounds. The payload includes 3-man crew and one additional soldier, all their combat gear, internal stowage per occupant, cargo, ammunition, ancillary equipment, related hardware, basic issue items with at least 27 cubic feet (0.76 cubic meters) of interior volume per individual.

The ASV-150 is capable of towing and being towed from the front by a like vehicle at its gross vehicle weight for a distance of at least 100 miles (161 kilometers) at a minimum speed of 35 miles/hour (56.4 kilometers/hour). The ASV is also capable of towing the M1025/M1026 and Up-Armored HMMWV models without damage to either vehicle. The ASV is capable of ascending and descending a 40 percent slope with no degradation to requirements when towing a 2-wheeled M1102 trailer with a gross vehicle weight of 4,200 pounds, the M1101 trailer with a gross vehicle weight of 3,400 pounds, or the 3/4 ton M101 series cargo trailer.

The ASV-150 includes an organic winch capable of producing a minimum rated pull capacity of 15,000 pounds (6,795 kilograms) to permit self-recovery and/or recovery of other systems as required.




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