The Mowag Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss company Mowag (since 2010 General Dynamics European Land Systems – Mowag GmbH). Five generations of vehicles have been produced, manufactured by Mowag or under licence by other companies such as the LAV, and variants are in service with military forces throughout the world.

Variants

Piranhas are available in 4×4, 6×6, 8×8, and 10×10 wheel versions. There are several variants within these versions, giving different degrees of armour protection and several kinds of turret, for use in a variety of roles. Piranha derivatives have been assigned roles as troop transports, command vehicles, fire support vehicles, tank trainers, and police vehicles. Piranhas are used by the Swiss Army. Swiss-built Piranha derivatives have been exported to Ireland, Romania, Spain, and Belgium. The Romanian and Belgian armies have selected the Piranha IIIC 8×8. Belgium converted to an all-wheeled force, and replaced all their M113 armoured personnel carriers, AIFVs and Leopard 1 tanks with 268 Piranha IIIC in 7 variants. Piranha derivatives have been manufactured under license by General Dynamics (Canada), BAE Systems Land Systems (UK), Cardoen and FAMAE (Chile), and in the USA. A new Piranha V version, weighing between 25 and 30 tons, was announced as the provisional winner of the British Army's Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) program in May 2008, but this selection was reversed seven months later and bidding started again. General Dynamics European Land Systems launched their new Piranha Class 5 at Eurosatory 2010 on 15 June and it was reported that the British MoD were showing renewed interest, but struggling with budget constraints.

Piranha 4×4 IB

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 Schweizerisches Militärmuseum Full.

Piranha IB 6×6

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 anti-tank missile, as a "tank destroyer". The prototype is along with an ambulance Piranha 6×6 on display in the Schweizerisches Militärmuseum Full.

MOWAG Piranha IIIC 10×10

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.

Family tree

Operators

Piranha I

🇨🇱 Chilean army – 225 Piraña I 6×6 and 30 Piraña I 8×8 🇬🇭 Ghana Army – 10 Piranha I 4x4, 44 Piranha I 6×6 and 3 Piranha I 8×8 🇳🇬 Nigerian Army – 110 delivered in the 1980s Boko Haram - at least two, captured from the Nigerian army 🇨🇭 Swiss Army – 314 Piranha II 6x6

Piranha II

🇴🇲 Royal Army of Oman – 174 Piranha II in seven versions. 🇶🇦 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 and 4 ARVs-recovery). Used during the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen. 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabian National Guard – 1,117 LAV/Piranha II in 10 versions; another 132 ordered. 🇸🇪 Swedish Army – 54 Piranha II 🇨🇭 Swiss Army – 528 Piranha IIC (APC93 8×8): 🇨🇭 Geneva Cantonal police – 1 Piranha IIC used by the tactical unit, BI (Brigade d'Intervention)

Piranha III

🇧🇪 Belgian Army – 242 Piranha IIIC 8×8, selected in 2006, ordered in 2 batches, delivery 2008 - 2015. Variants purchased: 🇧🇼 Botswana Defence Force – 90 Piranha III 🇧🇷 Brazilian Marine Corps – 30 Piranha IIIC 🇩🇰 Danish Army – 113 Piranha III 🇲🇩 Moldovan Ground Forces – 19 Piranha IIIH, supplied by Germany (Due to Swiss veto Danish request to re-export Piranha 3 armoured vehicles to Ukraine) as overhauled former Danish Army vehicles, first 3 vehicles delivered on 11.01.2023 🇮🇪 Irish Army – 80 Piranha IIIH (40 ordered in 1999, 25 in 2003, 15 ordered in 2005) (in 2019-2020, 62 Protector RWS turret were ordered for all the vehicles not initially equipped with it) 🇷🇴 Romanian Land Forces – 43 Piranha IIIC (amphibious). 🇪🇸 Spanish Navy Marines – 39 Piranha IIIC (18 ordered in 2001, 21 ordered in 2008) 🇸🇪 Swedish Amphibious Corps –13 Piranha IIIC 🇨🇭 Swiss Army – 88 Piranha IIIC

Piranha IV

🇨🇭 Swiss Army – 132 Piranha IV on order

Piranha V

🇩🇰 Danish Army – 309 Piranha V The first were produced in Switzerland and delivered in May 2017, and all were delivered by end 2023 🇲🇨 Monégasque Carabiniers – 2 Piranha V 🇷🇴 Romanian Land Forces – 2****27 Piranha V in production. The first batch of 36 vehicles produced in Switzerland, arrived in October 2020. Another 58 vehicles assembled in Romania were received by the end of 2022. All other units will be produced in Romania, at the Bucharest Mechanical Factory. A further 150 Piranhas are to be acquired. 🇪🇸 Spanish Army – 348 ordered, total expected 998

Former operators of the Piranha family

🇱🇷 Armed Forces of Liberia – 10 Piranha I 4×4. Saw service during the Second Liberian Civil War. 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone Army – about 10 Piranha I 6×6 (Non operational)

Derivatives of the Piranha

ASLAV (Australian Light Armoured Vehicle)

🇦🇺 Australian Army The ASLAV is an eight-wheeled amphibious armoured reconnaissance vehicle of the LAV II family used by the Australian Army, built by GDLS Canada and GDLS Australia. Land 112 Phase 1, 15 LAV-25 leased from the USMC; Land 112 Phase 2, 113 ASLAV ordered, delivery from 1995 to 1997; Land 112 Phase 3, 144 ASLAV ordered, all delivered by 2004.

LAV (Light Armoured Vehicles, made in Canada)

🇨🇦 Canadian Army 🇨🇱 Chilean Navy Purchased second hand from New Zealand 🇨🇴 Colombian Army New Zealand Army 105 LAV III purchased, with 73 remaining in service. Among the 32 not in service, 22 were sold to the Chilean Navy, 1 lost after damage in Afghanistan, 1 used in Canada as test vehicle, and 8 available for sale. 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabian Army 🇺🇦 Ukrainian Ground Forces 🇺🇾 Uruguayan Army

Stryker

Retired derivatives of the Piranha family

🇨🇦 Canadian Army

Comparable vehicles