Rheinmetall Landsysteme LIV(SO)

History

Special operations forces also need specialized tools to accomplish their missions, so this tends to drive some of the world's armed forces to procure special vehicles. In 2004, the Bundeswehr began operating the "Special Operations Light Infantry Fighting Vehicle" - or "LIV(SO)" for its special forces, eventually taking over 21 of them.

Designed and built by the historic Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH company, the vehicle is a 7,700-pound product developed for the harsh new battlefield - heavily influenced by combat operations in the Afghanistan and Iraq theaters. LIV is also known as "Wolf", "Serval" and "Reconnaissance and Fighting Vehicle" (AGF).

Rheinmetall received a formal work contract from LIV in March 2002. This led to the rapid development of a vehicle based on the DaimlerChrysler "Wolf G 270 CDI" in just ten months, with first deliveries starting in January 2003.

The truck is 5.6 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 2.3 meters high. A typical operator is four people. Power comes from a 154 hp DC270 CDI EURO III 5-cylinder diesel.

The engine is mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission, and all things considered, the vehicle can hit a road speed of 75 mph in a range of 520 miles.

The LIV was designed to excel in reconnaissance and combat support. Therefore, it retains all the acceptable characteristics of other all-terrain military vehicles, such as: for this, the RLS 609K weapon station is mounted above the passenger compartment.

It accepts 40mm Heckler & Koch GMG automatic grenade launchers or 12.7mm heavy machine guns. Auxiliary weapons mounted on the front (passenger side) or rear (on the swing arm) of the truck can be 1 or 2 7 Series MG3s.

62mm general purpose machine gun - carried by the crew in addition to existing personal weapons.

Survival features include armor protection along the floor, run-flat tires, full cab roll bars and built-in smoke function in the bumper assembly. Armor plates can be added to further protect against small arms fire and artillery "spray", and bulletproof glass is optional.

The vehicle has a traditional layout, with the driver sitting in the front left, with the engine bay directly in front of him. The carriage is reinforced by a large plunger rod attached to the front of the car. The crew room also has seating for at least three people. Wheels are well spaced for a good design balance and provide good ground clearance. Drive is distributed to all four wheels.

The LIV can fly on the belly of a mid-sized helicopter or a C-130 Hercules or similar fixed-wing platform - making it a true tactical tool.

The Swiss Army is another prominent operator of LIV, and the service received several examples throughout 2007.

Specification

Basic

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Performance

Performance

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Armor

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Changes