ASCOD AFV

Infobox Weapon
is_vehicle=yes
type=Armoured Fighting Vehicle
origin=flagicon|Austria Austria, flagicon|Spain Spain
name=ASCOD Pizarro


caption=Spanish Pizarro in Madrid, 2006.
length=6.24 m (26 ft)
width=3.64 m (12 ft)
height=2.43 m (8 ft)
weight=28 tonnes (30.9 short tons)
suspension=torsion bar
speed=Road: 72 km/h
primary_armament=30 mm Mauser MK 30-2
secondary_armament=MG3 7.62 mm (Pizarro) MG74 7.62 mm (Ulan)
armour=
crew=3 + 7 passengers
engine=Diesel
engine_power=600 hp (Pizarro) 720 hp (Ulan)

The ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Cooperation Development) AFV family is the product of a cooperation parp between Austrian Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG (in 1998 the production of heavy armed vehicles was sold out under the name Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug, which is now the producer) and Spanish Santa Bárbara Sistemas. The ASCOD family includes the LT 105, a light tank equipped with a 105 mm gun, a SAM launcher, an Anti-tank missile launcher, mortar carrier, R&R vehicle, Command & Control vehicle, ambulance, artillery observer, and the AIFV model. In Spanish service the vehicle is called Pizarro, while the Austrian version is called Ulan.

Development history

The ASCOD was designed to replace the older light armoured fighting vehicles of the Austrian and Spanish armies, such as the M113 armoured personnel carrier. The Ulan, the Austrian version of the Pizarro, would provide a flexible compliment to their heavy Leopard 2A4. The Ulan would allow the Austrian army to deploy rapidly and effectively over longer distances, especially for foreseeable future operations - such as Kosovo, or another trouble spot. [Quod Vadis Armour?] The first prototype of the ASCOD IFV was ready and tested by 1992 and production was possible only four years later. [Santa Bárbara Sistems] The ASCOD was a very modern solution to bring both the Austrian and Spanish armour up to date. To put this into perspective, the Pizarro project was a part of the greater Project CORAZA (Project Armour) which was to replace Spain's M113 APCs, M60A3s, and M110 artillery pieces. [Candil, pg. 42] A similar upgrade program was also concurrently underway in Austria. By 2005 the Austrian army was equipped with 112 Ulan vehicles [Quod Vadis Armour?] and Spain with 144 (123 IFV and 21 C2V). [Principales Programas de Armamento de DGAM] In 2004 the Spanish Ministry of Defence ordered another 212 Pizarros (170 IFV, 5 C2V, 28 Artillery observation, 8 recovery, 1 Engineering vehicle) for 707.5 million Euros, [Ministry of Defence] with up to 900 units total planned. [Army Technology]

The Pizarro mounts a 30 mm Mauser cannon in a fully traversable electro-mechanical turret. The 30 mm cannon, stabilized on two planes, is able to fire on the move at a rate of up to 800 rounds per minute. It also carries a 7.62 mm machine gun as a secondary armament, carrying up to 205 rounds for the 30 mm gun and 700 for the 7.62 mm machine gun. This armament is comparable to that of the M2 Bradley and the CV90, and performed well in a Norwegian vehicles trial, although it ultimately lost to the Swedish CV90. The gun uses the Mk-10 fire control system from Indra, which has a full solution digital ballistic computer, day channel, thermal channel and laser rangefinder. Future versions of the Mk-10 will be fitted with a new VC2 thermal imager. [Army Technoloy] The ASCOD Pizarro is also very well armoured, with a thick steel armour casing protected against up to 14,5 mm bullets at 500 meters, [revistanaval.com] with all around protection against 7.62 mm ammunition. [Army Technology] Furthermore, the turret has two grenade launchers on either side to fire smoke grenades. The Pizarro is also fitted with limited amounts of SABBLIR reactive armour and might be upgraded with more later. [Santa Bárbara Sistemas] However, with appliqué steel plates fitted it can be protected against 30 mm APDS. [Revistanaval.com]

In terms of mobility, the Spanish Pizarro is fitted with a convert|600|hp engine, while the Austrian Ulan includes a convert|720|hp engine. The smaller Spanish engine gives it a power to weight ratio of 21, and the larger engine one of 25, offering both vehicles excellent mobility. Both versions use a Renk HSWL 106C hydro-mechanical transmission, and torsion bar suspension. [Army Technology] The Pizarro can go a maximum speed of 70 km/h, and a maximum reverse speed of 35 km/h. [Santa Bárbara Sistemas]

Currently Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge is developing an improved version called Ulan 2, which features the Russian BMP-3 turret and additional armour. [Armada.ch]

Deployment History

There have been at least 112 units deployed in the Austrian Army, as well as around 143 deployed with the Spanish Army. It has been deployed to Kosovo in Operation Alfa-Romeo, where they disembarked at Durrës, Albania. They have also been publicly displayed during the National Day Parade in Madrid. It's very likely that they will be deployed to future UN and NATO operations throughout the world.

Variants

*Pizarro - Spanish version of the IFV
*Ulan - Austrian version of the IFV
*LT-105 Light Tank - A light tank, designed for the export market, with a 105 mm gun. 15 have been sold to the Royal Thai Army. The turret was designed by General Dynamics. [Europea1999.com]
*VCOAV - (Vehículo de Observación Avanzada) Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle
*VCREC - Recovery vehicle
*VCZ - Engineering vehicle

Notes

References

Candil, Antonio J. "Spain's Armor Force Modernizes" in "Armor", March 1, 1998. Fort Knox, KY: US Army Armor Center. ISSN 0004-2420.
"Quo Vadis Armour?" in "Military Technology", November 1, 2003.

[http://www.army-technology.com/projects/ascod/ Army Technology]
[http://www.mde.es Spain's Ministry of Defence]
[http://www.revistanaval.com/blimdanet/historias/articulo/articulo.htm ¿INFANTERÍA MECANIZADA?]
[http://www.europa1939.com/tanques/afv/ascod.html Pizarro IFV]
[http://www.gdsbs.com/web/frame.asp?page=http://www.gdsbs.com/web/productos/producto.asp?idprod=18 Santa Bárbara Sistemas]
[http://www.mde.es/dgam/principalesprogramasaym.htm Principales Programas de Armamento de DGAM]

External links

* [http://www.armyrecognition.com/europe/Espagne/vehicules_legers/ASCOD_Pizarro/Pizarro_Espagne_description.htm Technical data sheet and pictures Spanish Pizarro from ArmyRecognition.com]
* [http://www.doppeladler.com/oebh/kette/ulan.htm The Ulan (ASCOD) in the Austrian Armed Forces - technical data and pictures]