Polish army needs to acquire new reconnaissance combat vehicle under the Viper program

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Defence & Security News - Poland
 
Polish army needs to acquire new reconnaissance combat vehicle under the Viper program.
The Polish army has launched the procedure to acquire a new long-range reconnaissance combat vehicle, under the program "Viper". According the website Defence24, Polish army could purchase a total of 118 vehicles during the period of 2016 to 2022.
     
The Polish army has launched the procedure to acquire a new long-range reconnaissance combat vehicle, under the program "Viper". According the website Defence24, Polish army could purchase a total of 118 vehicles during the period of 2016 to 2022. Polish-made LPU-1 Virus Light Strike Vehicle is designed to meet the request of Polish army for a new long-range reconnaissance combat vehicle
     
The Polish army procurement agency wants a vehicle which have an empty combat weight of less than 1,700 kg and maximum weight with payload of 2,400 kg. The vehicle must have a 4x4 drivetrain able to carry 3 soldiers including driver , commander and gunner.

The vehicle must be easily transportable by helicopter of military transport aircraft as the C-130E Hercules and it can be airdropped by parachute.

For ballistic and mine threats, the vehicle must provide a protection Level 1 STANAG 4569, including the floor of the chassis.

At MSPO 2012, the International Defense Industry Exhibition in Poland, one Polish Company has presented a new concept of 4x4 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle called LPU-1 Virus.

The LSV (Light Strike Vehicle) LPU-1 was designed as an answer to the demand the army for a universal vehicle for assault forces and special forces. The vehicle is built on the base of widely available off-road vehicle TOYOTA D-4D,, thereby reducing the production costs, provide easy availability of spare parts, and guarantee components short delivery time.

The layout of the LPU-1 vehicle is designed by Team Concept based on the standard chassis of Toyota D-4D. The vehicle can accommodate three soldiers, two at the front (driver and commander) and one at the rear. The LPU-1 use the technology of an open-top vehicle with one 180° circular ring mounted weapon station which can be armed with a 12.7mm machine or one 40mm automatic grenade launcher. One 5.56 mm machine gun can be mounted at the front of the vehicle for the commander and one for the gunner at the rear.

This new light strike vehicle can run at a maximum speed road of 140 km/h with a maximum range of 1,200 km and 80 km/h in off-road condition with a maximum range of 800 km.

Solutions used in the vehicle the arrangement of seats, holders the gun, boxes of equipment, ammunition, etc. were built on the basis of the recommendations ex Polish Army soldiers who participated in the actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.