Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles presents the light armoured vehicle Gavial Plus at MSPO 2011.

The Gavial Plus is the product of continued cooperation between Rheinmetall and Panhard, renowned French manufacturer of wheeled tactical vehicles. Named, appropriately enough, after a well-armoured species of Indian crocodile, this enhanced version of the French Army’s Petit Véhicule Protégé (PVP) can be configured for a variety of tactical roles in extremely tough environments.

Sharing a majority of components with his smaller brother, the Gavial Plus is a highly mobile, well-protected, all-wheel-drive vehicle, light and compact enough to be airlifted by a CH 47 transport helicopter as underslung cargo. For a vehicle in its weight class, the Gavial Plus offers outstanding protection against small arms fire, mines and IEDs. It is powered by an advanced high-performance diesel engine, and handles extremely well both on and off the road, even in shifting sand dunes and rocky terrain.

With a combat weight of 7.5 tons and a large internal volume of 6.6 m3 the Gavial Plus (known in French as the PVP-HD) can carry up to seven soldiers and lends itself to a wide variety of missions, including reconnaissance, command and control, transport and patrolling. It can also be equipped with various weapon stations. Moreover, there is still enough space in the rear of the vehicle for stowing mission-relevant material and the soldiers’ personal equipment.