Mowag Piranha

MOWAG Piranha IB 4×4
MOWAG Piranha IB 4×4
Place of origin	Switzerland
Production history
Designer	MOWAG Motor Car Factory, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
Manufacturer	MOWAG
Produced	1974–present
Variants	Armt, recon
Specifications
Mass	6,300 kg (13,900 lb)
Length	5.40m
Width	2.5m
Height	1.85m /
Crew	7: driver, commander, gunner + 4 more people
Main armament	1× 12.7 mm MG in the turret or Wildcat AAA with 2×30mm gun, or TSE 5000 Crotale, or ADATS, or Rheinmetall 105 mm Cannon
Engine	Chrysler V8 gasoline engine 360-1 Displacement 6,780 cm³ 125 kW
Transmission	NP 540 Chrysler mechanics transmission, 5 forward gears, 1 reverse gear
Suspension	4×4 wheeled, tyres 13.00 × 20 run-flat (insert)
Fuel capacity	200 l
Operational range	700 km (41l/100km)
Maximum speed	100 km/h (62 mph), water 10 km/h (6 mph)
Steering system	1 axle

The MOWAG Piranha 4×4 IB was an armored personnel carrier.

To complete the Piranha I Family of 1974, the Piranha 4×4 IB was designed as a light rapid reconnaissance and attack vehicle. It could take part in amphibious operations thanks to twin propellers and could operate in NBC-contaminated areas. The Piranha 4×4 was also designed to meet police needs. The MOWAG Grenadier and Mowag Spy sub-versions were also developed. The prototype of the Piranha 4×4 IB went through numerous tests and received different equipment and different engines. Due to rapid technological development and adjustments to requirements for military vehicles, no Piranha with gasoline engine was sold. The prototype is now in the Full Military Museum.

MOWAG Piranha IB 6×6
MOWAG Piranha IB 6×6 Swiss Army
Place of origin	Switzerland
Service history
Used by	Switzerland, Canada, United Nations
Production history
Designer	MOWAG Motor Car Factory, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
Manufacturer	MOWAG
Produced	1972–present
Variants	Tank Destroyer, C3 Command Vehicle Medevac, APC, Police vehicle
Specifications
Mass	9,300 kg (20,500 lb)
Length	6.25m
Width	2.66m
Height	1.985m / 2.17m
Crew	7: driver, commander, gunner + 4 more people
Main armament	1× 12.7 mm MG turret or MOWAG apex mount, or grenade launcher, TOW anti-tank missile, or Mephisto ATM.
Engine	Chrysler V8 petrol engine HT 413 Displacement 6,780 cm³ 147 kW
Transmission	Allison MT-40 Automatic 6-speed planetary gearbox
Suspension	6×6 wheeled, tyres 13.00 × 20 run-flat (insert)
Fuel capacity	200 l
Operational range	500 km (41l/100km)
Maximum speed	100 km/h (62 mph), water 10 km/h (6 mph)
Steering system	1 axle or 1 and 2 axle

The first Piranha prototype ever built was the 6×6 IB in 1972. It can be seen as a milestone for the Piranha series due to various technical innovation like (at the time) modern designed drive with independent suspension, compact power unit in the right front and (as an amphibian drive) being powered by two propellers. This prototype was demonstrated with different engines and features for potential customers such as the Canadian Army who locally produced them as the AVGP. Switzerland sold a license to manufacture this machine to Chile in 1983. In the Swiss Army, the Piranha 6×6 is used as an ambulance, C3 command vehicle and, together with the BGM-71 TOW, as a Tank Destroyer. The prototype is along with an ambulance Piranha 6×6 on display in the Full Military Museum.

MOWAG Piranha IIIC 10×10
MOWAG Piranha IIIC 10×10 at Military Museum Full
Place of origin	Switzerland
Service history
Used by	Sweden
Production history
Designer	MOWAG Motor Car Factory, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
Manufacturer	MOWAG
Produced	1994
Variants	Tank, C3 Command Vehicle.
Specifications
Mass	18,000 kg (40,000 lb)
Length	7.45m
Width	2.66m
Height	1.98m / 2.17m
Crew	3: driver, commander, gunner
Main armament	turret Oerlikon GDD BOE with 35 mm automatic cannon KDE
Secondary armament	7.62 mm coaxial MG FN MAG and 6 × Nebelwurfbecher 76mm
Engine	Detroit Diesel V6, V6 53TA 350 hp
Transmission	Allison MD 3560 P-automatic transmission, 6 forward gears, 1 reverse
Suspension	10×10 wheeled, tyres 13.00 × 20 run-flat (insert)
Maximum speed	100 km/h (62 mph)
Steering system	1 and 2 axle

With the continuous evolution of the Piranha family due to increasing demands, and the projected development of the Mowag Shark as a heavy weapons carrier, the Piranha design reached the limit of its payload capacity. The Piranha 10×10 (built in 1994), was an attempt to expand the payload, using a 5th axle of the same type as used in the smaller Piranha models. The Piranha 10×10 was designed as a heavy weapons carrier, but only a small number were built for Sweden as the LIRKA command tank and Kapris radar carrier. The Piranha IIIC 10×10 marked an important development from the Piranha IIIC 8×8. The Piranha IIIC 10×10 prototype was used in various tests, including in Sweden, and now stands in the Schweizerisches Militärmuseum Full.

• Chilean army – 250 Piraña I 6×6 and 25 Piraña I 8×8.[7]
• Ghana Army – 63 Piranha I 4×4,6×6 and 8×8.[8][9]
• Nigerian Army – 110 delivered in the 1980s[10]
• Boko Haram - at least 2, captured from the Nigerian army[10][11]
• Swiss Army – 310 Piranha TOW, including 40 transformed into ambulance (Armament Program 2005, delivered in 2006–2007)[12] and 160 converted in command vhc with M153 Protector (Armament Program 2006, delivered in 2008–2010)[13]

• Royal Army of Oman – 174 Piranha II in 7 versions.[8]
• Qatar Armed Forces – 40 Piranha II 8×8 built under licence by former British firm Alvis PLC. (36 CCTS-90 tank hunter with a Belgian Cockerill 90 mm gun[14] and 4 ARVs-recovery). Used during the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.[15]
• Saudi Arabian National Guard – 1,117 LAV/Piranha II in 10 versions; another 132 ordered.[8]
• Swedish Army – 44 Piranha II 10×10 including 27 Armoured Sensor Vehicle and 17 Armoured Command Vehicle (7.62 mm machine gun) and 10 Piranha II 8×8 Armoured Escort Vehicle ordered in 1997
• Swiss Army – over 500 Piranha IIC (APC93 8×8), including command version (Kdo Pz 93+)
• Geneva Cantonal police – 1 Piranha IIC used by the tactical unit, BI (Brigade d'Intervention)[16]

• Belgian Army – 138 Piranha IIIC 8×8 in 7 versions, introduced in 2008: 64 Piranha FUSELIER (APC),[17] 19 Piranha DF30,[18] 18 Piranha DF90,[19] 14 command vehicles,[20] 6 Ambulances,[21] 9 ARV[22] and 8 Piranha Genie[23]
• Botswana Defence Force – 45 Piranha IIIC.[8]
• Brazilian Marine Corps – 30 Piranha IIIC in 3 versions.[24]
• Danish Army – 18 Piranha IIIH, and 115 Piranha IIIC; all fitted with the Lemur 12.7mm OHW.[8]
• Irish Army – 91 Piranha IIIH in 6 versions.[8]
• Romanian Land Forces – 43 Piranha IIIC.[25]
• Ukrainian Army – 25 Piranha IIIC.[26] Switzerland has refused a Danish request to transfer 22 Piranha IIIs to Ukraine. [27]
• Spanish Navy Marines – 39 Piranha IIIC in 3 versions.[8]
• Swedish Army – 33 Piranha IIIC.[8]
• Swiss Army – 60 Piranha IIIC, including 12 NBC detection vehicles (vhc expl ABC / ABC Aufkl Fz).[28]

• Danish Army – In the process of acquiring 309 units. The first were delivered in May 2017, with all expected to be in use by 2023.[29][30]
• Monégasque Carabiniers – Two Piranha V units.[31]
• Romanian Land Forces – The first batch of 36 vehicles, produced at GDELS-Mowag's facilities in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, they entered the endowment of the Romanian Land Forces in October 2020 at the 26th Infantry Battalion, also known as the Red Scorpions, based in Craiova, Romania. Another 191 units will be produced in Romania, at Bucharest Mechanical Factory.
• Spanish Army – Five units were acquired in 2015 as prototypes for the VBMR program.
• Spanish Navy Marines – An undetermined number of Piranha V with 120 mm guns will replace the M60A3 in service.[32]