General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) presents its latest generation of wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicle based on the Piranha V fitted with the SAMS Remote Weapon Station (RWS) designed and manufactured by the Israeli company Rafael.
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GDELS Piranha V wheeled armored vehicle fitted with a Rafael Samson Remote Weapon Station. (Picture source GDELS)
The Piranha V is the latest variant of wheeled armored vehicle in the Piranha family that is designed based on the experience gathered from the previous variants and, hence, benefits from more payload, internal room and mobility, for better protection, firepower, comfort, and modularity.
The design concept of the PIRANHA V wheeled armored vehicle is divided into three main sections including the driver at the front-left with the engine at his right, a weapon station mounted on the roof in the middle of the vehicle, and the troop compartment at the rear. In IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) variant, it has a crew of three including a driver, commander, gunner, and can accommodate up to 10 infantrymen seated at the rear of the hull
The PIRANHA V provides a modular, interchangeable protection system, which can be adapted to the most significant threat scenarios to which the vehicle can be exposed. The vehicle hull made of armored steel and the scalable add-on armor are the main elements of this modular protection system. Protection against mine blasts is obtained through a protection module inside the vehicle that doesn’t affect its mobility, as well as through special seats and a careful definition of the fixations and installations.
The PIRANHA V is powered by a Scania DC13 diesel engine coupled to a ZF automatic transmission with 5 forward and 2reverse gears. It can run at a maximum road speed of 100 km/h, with a maximum cruising range of 1,000 km.
The PIRANHA V fitted with the Rafael Samson RWS (Remote Weapon Station) has incredible firepower that includes one dual-feed 30mm automatic cannon and one 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. Thanks to its modularity, the Rafael turret can be equipped with additional armament including a Spike anti-tank guided missile launcher system.
The Rafael Samson turret can be also equipped with a wide range of optronic systems including a stabilized day/thermal sighting system and a laser rangefinder for the gunner mounted to the right of the weapon as well as a roof-mounted stabilized panoramic sight for the commander. In option, the vehicle can be fitted with an APS (Active Protection System) to increase protection against attacks of anti-tank guided missiles and RPG (Rocket-Propelled Grenades).
