Berliet VXB-170

History

Societe des Automobiles Berliet (Berliet) The VXB-170 is a Cold War era light armored 4x4 vehicle of French origin, developed as a private company to meet French requirements 's army. The series - despite being rejected by the Army - was adopted in 1972 and entered service in 1973 with an order of 155 units from the Gendarmerie, which appreciated their intrinsic value in heavier security work.

Exports of the car were limited to Gabon and Senegal, and fewer than 200 were eventually completed.

In the case of the French army, it opted for the competing "VAB" armored vehicle (described in detail elsewhere on this page).

The Berliet armored vehicle weighs 14 tons (short) and measures 19.7 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 6.8 feet high to the top of the hull. Armor protection is light, up to 7mm thick on the welded steel hull. Inside is a typical three-man crew, with eight additional passengers in the rear of the fighting compartment. Located in the rear of the fuselage, the engine powers a 4x4 wheel arrangement containing large oversized rubber tires that provide the chassis with excellent ground clearance.

The vehicle is powered by an 8-cylinder Berliet V800M series diesel engine, delivering 170 hp to all-wheel drive.

Range is up to 470 miles, while road speed is limited to 55 mph.

Its silhouette is very traditional, with chevrons used to provide basic ballistic protection for the crew and internal operating systems. The vehicle also has the option of being amphibious, capable of traversing water if necessary (through the use of hydro-jets or movement of the wheels), while the four-wheel-drive arrangement gives it good on- and off-road performance. A powered winch system is optional, as is a cased closed turret with a sight.

All glass panels are bulletproof, and muzzles are provided along the sides of the hull to allow the occupants to defend against threats from the relative safety of the car. There is a hinged entry/exit door on the sides of the fuselage (near the center) and on the rear fuselage wall (offset to the right due to the engine being on the left).

There are also five roof hatches (including the commander's position).

The pilot vehicles were named "BL-12" and these vehicles began to appear in 1968. The company's initial market offerings continue to include interior security, reconnaissance/patrol and light combat forms, while another planned special model is a two-person turret with a 60mm mortar and machine gun for fire support - all of which The planned branch will rely on a common chassis (relying on off-the-shelf truck components) to keep procurement and operating costs to a minimum.

When armed, the French Gendarmerie wagon is armed with a 7.62mm machine gun next to a 40mm automatic grenade launcher (AGL) in the turret above the commander's hatch, but the customer can use the weapon as needed, depending on the mission and local available content. The turret provides the commander with a 360-degree traversal of the vehicle's roofline.

Berliet was eventually acquired by Saviem in 1975 to become Renault Trucks, ending production of the VXB-170 and making the Gendarmerie the largest and most famous operator in the series.

Specification

Basics

Years in Service

1973

Origins

France

Status

Active.

Limited service.

Crew

3

Production

175

Manufacturers

Societe des Automobiles Berliet / Saviem / Renault Trucks France

Carrier

France (internal security only);Gabon;Senegal

Rolling

Amphibious Assault

Cross open water under your own power with or without preparation.

Infantry Support

Support allied ground forces using weapons, inherent capabilities, and/or shipborne systems.

Armored vehicles

Designed, usually lightweight, to provide on-road/off-road capability for reconnaissance or general security roles.

Recon

Can perform reconnaissance/reconnaissance missions to assess threat levels, enemy strength, etc. - usually due to lightweight construction.

Utilities

Generally user-centered design to perform various battlefield missions, usually in an indirect combat fashion.

Designed to play an equally special role on the battlefield.

Highlights

Tire layout

The wheeled arrangement gives the system inherent road capability and improved maneuverability.

Main Tower

This vehicle is of modern tank quality and its main armament is housed in a turret.

Drive-through owner weapon

The weapon is located in the traversing module and can counter the enemy threat in all directions.

Amphibious

The system can enter and traverse open water sources - rivers, lakes and streams; supports amphibious assault operations.

Cross-country skiing

The design includes features such as a chain linkage system or high ground clearance for better traversing of terrain.

horn armor

Angled armor on critical faces adds inherent ballistic protection to the vehicle.

Night Vision

Night vision equipment is available to the crew to allow operation in low light conditions or at night.

Anti-Infantry

Vehicles have built-in anti-infantry capabilities for local vehicle defense or general troop suppression.

troop transport vehicle

Vehicles (or variants thereof) have inherent troop transport capabilities and provide protective cover for allies boarding ships in disputed areas.

Muzzle

The vehicle allows the occupants to attack external targets within the range (and safety) of the vehicle.

Versatility

The vehicle's proven chassis and overall configuration are ideal for other battlefield roles through special design.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

19.7 feet

5.99m

width

8. 2 feet

2.5m

Height

6.7ft

2.05m

Weight

27,999 lbs

12,700 kg

Tonnage

14. 0 tons

Power and Performance

Engine:

1 x Berliet V800M 8-cylinder diesel engine driving a conventional 4x4 four-wheel drive.

Speed

52.8 km/h

(85.0 km/h)

Area

466.0 km

(750.0 km)

Weapon

Optional, Typical, Variable: Two-person turret with 1 x 40mm grenade launcher and 1 x 7.62mm infantry machine gun.

AMMOTION

300 x 40mm shell. 1,000 x 7.62mm ammo.

VARIANTS

VXB-170 - Name of the basic series; base personnel carrier. VXB-170C - Command Vehicle. VXB-170M - Special operations model with powered winch or dozer blade. VXB-170R - planned reconnaissance/patrol variant. VXB-170LC - planned light combat vehicle.