U.S. Army has tested the German-made Rheinmetall Wiesel 2 light airborne armoured vehicle 12509152

Defence & Security News - United States
 
U.S. Army has tested the German-made Rheinmetall Wiesel 2 light airborne armoured vehicle.
According the website DodBuzz, U.S. Army has tested the German-made Wiesel 2 light airborne armoured vehicle. The vehicle was tested during two weeks at Fort Benning, Georgia in August along with five other companies as part of the Army’s effort to equip cavalry squadrons a light reconnaissance vehicle.
     
According the website DodBuzz, U.S. Army has tested the German-made Wiesel 2 light airborne armoured vehicle. The vehicle was tested during two weeks at Fort Benning, Georgia in August along with five other companies as part of the Army’s effort to equip cavalry squadrons a light reconnaissance vehicle. German-made Rheinmetall Wiesel 2 at Modern Day Marine 2015, defense exhibition in U.S. Marine Corps Base (MCB), Quantico.
     
The Wiesel 2 was also showed at Modern Day Marine 2015, a defense exhibition which takes place every year to the U.S. Marine Corps Base (MCB), Quantico. MCB Quantico, home to the Combat Development Command and the Marine Corps Systems Command, is responsible for setting requirements, developing equipment and systems and purchasing the equipment and systems that the Marine Corps will rely on in the years to come.

The Wiesel 2 airborne armored vehicle is a further development of the Wiesel 1. The Wiesel 2 has an extended hull and more powerful engine. It is currently in service with Germany. The Wiesel 2 was developed by the German Company Rheinmetall Landsysteme.

The hull of the Wiesel 2 is of all-welded steel construction providing the crew with protection from 7.62 mm small arms fire and shell splinters. The Wiesel 2 has twice the internal volume of the earlier Wiesel 1, it can carry a total of 6 soldiers, including driver and commander.

The troops enter the vehicle through a large door in the hull rear that opens to the left. The commander's position is to the rear of the driver and the cupola of the commander is armed with a 7.62mm machine gun.

A CH-53 helicopter can carry two Wiesel 2 vehicles internally and the Wiesel 2 can also be slung underneath helicopters such as the CH-53 and CH-47.

The Wiesel 2 is also used by Germany army as anti-aircraft air defense system fitted with a turret LeFlaSys (ASRAD).