FMC M-113G1 AOPV

     Notes: The M-113G1 AOPV (in German, the M-113G1 Beobachtungspanzer) sort of takes a middle road between a bunch of artillery spotters with hand-held equipment and a fully specialized M-113-based FISTV such as the American M-971.  The M-113G1 AOPV has a mission equipment set on an extendible mast that projects the sights and equipment above the vehicle, but only just enough to give the equipment and sights free play.  The mast and the equipment set is raised through the standard M-113-type rear hatch.  The equipment pod has a thermal imager, image intensifier, a laser rangefinder, and a laser designator.  The standard commander’s cupola is retained and has a pintle mount, though normally for a smaller machinegun than is normally fitted to an M-113.  The fourth crewmember has a small computer that is good for producing fire solutions, but only one at a time; it is not a particularly high-powered computer.  The M-113G1 AOPV has one long-range data-capable radio, one other long-range radio, and one short-range radio.

     As an M-113 variant (specifically, an M-113A1 variant), the M-113G1 AOPV has many things in common with an M-113A1.  The driver is on the front left, and steers and brakes using tillers. He has three vision blocks to his front; the center one can be replaced with a night vision block. The M-113G1 has a hydraulic ramp at the rear with another hatch set into it on the left side.  The ramp can be quickly opened by simply dropping it, or lowered more slowly by using engine power to help control the speed at which the ramp lowers.  There is a large, rear-opening hatch on the rear deck; the equipment mast and pod is raised through this.  On the left front; somewhat to the rear of the driver’s position, is the commander’s cupola; he has no night vision gear, but has all-around vision blocks and the cupola manually turns. The handle to operate the ramp it to the rear of the driver, and it is the driver that is responsible for opening and closing the ramp under most circumstances.  The M-113G1 uses the engine of the M-113A2, which is a General Motors 6V53T turbocharged diesel developing 212 horsepower and has an improved cooling system.  The M-113G1 also has smoke grenade launchers – a cluster of four on each fender, like that of the M-113A2, but of German make.

Rheinmetall Leopard AOPV

     Notes: This is a vehicle where I have not been able to determine whether or not it ever entered service; I have given stats here on this page as if it did enter service.  Some 333 conversions were scheduled to take place by 1995, but they may have fallen victim to the budget axe.  The Leopard AOPV, last I heard, was to replace Jagdpanzer AOPV and most M-113G AOPV vehicles.

     The Leopard AOPV (in German, the Leopard Beobachtungspanzer) is a FIST version based on the Leopard 1A5 tank.  The result is a highly-survivable FIST platform.  Broadly, the Leopard AOPV is similar to the Leopard 1A5, to the inclusion of a dummy cannon on the turret to hide the fact that it is a higher-priority-target fist vehicle rather than an average tank.  The turret is heavily modified; the internal main gun components are not installed, and the turret carries part of the extra radio gear, part of the mission-specific computers, and enhanced day and night vision gear.  The turret also has an advanced laser rangefinder with a range of 15 kilometers, and a laser designator with a range of 10 kilometers.  The turret also has an advanced image intensifier for day and night use with a range of 15 kilometers during the day and 8 kilometers during the night, and an advanced FLIR.  The commander also has a second laser rangefinder and image intensifier (of normal capability) at his position, and he can access all vision devices on his vehicle.  The Leopard AOPV has two data-capable long-range radios, a medium-range radio, and a short-range radio.  A 5kW APU is also carried. The Leopard AOPV has the maps and equipment to do manual fire solutions if necessary, but the Leopard AOPV is designed to primarily do its calculations on a special computer built and programmed for that purpose, and similar to that on the later versions of Jagdpanzer AOPV. The Leopard AOPV was at last check equipped with in inertial navigation; I would imagine that GPS would equip them now; with GPS, add $10000.  The crew is protected by an NBC Overpressure system and an automatic fire detection and suppression system for the turret, driver’s compartment, engine, and fuel tanks.

     Like the Leopard 1, the Leopard AOPV has a conventional crew layout, with the driver to the front left side, the commander on the right of the turret below and to the right of him, and the loader’s hatch on the left side of the turret.  The loader and gunner actually are part of the FIST, and help find targets, designate targets, and computer fire solutions.  The only weapon remaining in the turret is the former coaxial machinegun, which does not have any ballistic computer, laser rangefinder, or stabilization.  The ammunition ready bin to the right of the driver houses equipment on the Leopard AOPV. The driver has three vision blocks allowing vision to the front and partially to each side.  The Leopard AOPV has a rare feature among military vehicles – the commander has auxiliary driving controls, and can drive the Leopard 1 from his cupola, if in a somewhat awkward fashion.  He also has auxiliary controls for the main gun.  The commander’s cupola has seven vision blocks giving him a 360-degree view, and he has a 1x/6x/20x periscope on the turret roof itself that can be rotated independently of the cupola and allows day/night vision.  The commander’s hatch can be fully open, fully closed, or locked into a position that allows the commander to peek out at his surroundings, but is only open a little.  The periscope has an aiming reticule for use when firing his machinegun from under armor.  (In the latter case, an image of the gunner’s aiming reticule is projected onto the periscope.)

     The turret of the Leopard 1 is all-welded. The Leopard 1 has a fully automatic transmission. The engine is a Daimler-Benz DB-838 830-horsepower supercharged diesel which can also run on JP4 jet fuel.  The engine and transmission is combined into one powerpack that can be removed as a unit.  The suspension is optimized for some of the roughest terrain around. The tracks are US-designed, but can be replaced with German-designed anti-skid tracks.  In either case, the tracks have rubber track pads.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: 33 of these conversions had been accomplished before the start of the war, to replace M-113 based observation vehicles. 

     Merc 2000 Notes: These conversions were never done.

Thyssen Henchel Jagdpanzer AOPV

     Notes:  The Jagdpanzer Rakete was an early Cold War tank destroyer that persisted into service into the mid-1980s.  (It is covered in German Self-Propelled Guns.) Though 333 Jagdpanzer Raketes were later converted into Jaguar 2 ATGM carriers, 165 were converted into FISTVs called Jagdpanzer AOPV (Artillery Observation Post Vehicle) or Jagdpanzer Beobachtungspazer.  I have not been able to discover whether these vehicles are still in service, or when they served if they are no longer in service.  Germany appears to be the only country that used them.

     The hull of the Jagdpanzer AOPV (called in German the Jagdpanzer Beobachtungspanzer) is broadly similar to the Jagdpanzer Kanone (minus the gun, of course). The driver is on the front left side, with an overhead hatch that opens to the right and three forward vision blocks.  One of these blocks can be removed and replaced with a night vision block.  The commander has a cupola near the center right of the vehicle, with all-around vision blocks; a pintle mount for a weapon is mounted.  The commander also has a periscope which can be rotated through 270 degrees, and has magnifications of 1x, 6x, and 20x; this is mounted in front of the cupola.  The hatch for the loader remains (including its all-around vision blocks), but the gunner’s and loader’s positions themselves have been deleted and replaced with mission-specific equipment.  The Jagdpanzer Kanone’s coaxial machinegun has also been deleted. The main gun and all its associated equipment is removed, and the opening for the gun and mantlet plated over.  The crew is protected with an NBC overpressure system.  On each front corner of the roof is a quadruple cluster of smoke grenade launchers.

     The Jagdpanzer AOPV is powered by the original Daimler Benz MB-837 diesel developing 500 horsepower, coupled to a manual transmission.  The driver has a steering yoke and appropriate foot pedals.  Behind the driver is the mission compartment, which houses two crewmembers.  The crewmembers man radios, including two data-capable long-range radios, a medium-range radio, and a short-range radio.  The Jagdpanzer AOPV has a ruggedized computer appropriate to its tasks of assisting the crew in producing fire solutions, navigating, and coordinating supporting fires.  The radios and computer can interface with artillery/mortar/MRL fire control computers with ground-mounted units as well as transmit coordinates to higher headquarters. On the deck next to the commander’s cupola is an armored hatch which automatically opens upon command; this hatch protects an elevating pod containing sensors, including telescopic sights, an image intensifier, a thermal imager, a laser rangefinder, and a laser designator. The sensors in the pod are accessible by the crew (except for the driver) and can be interfaced with the computer. Storage is provided for maps, especially in early models, as well as codebooks. The crew uses and maps and manual equipment to plot supporting fire in extremis.

     Originally, the Jagdpanzer AOPV was equipped with a gyrocompass for navigation, which was later upgraded to inertial navigation.  Rumors state that the inertial navigation was to be supplemented with GPS, but I have not been able to discover whether or not this upgrade was ever made.  (I have included stats for all three versions below.) Computers were also supposed to be upgraded at the same time as the installation of GPS, and sensors were supposed to be upgraded, but I have not been able to confirm this either, though I included it in the stats below.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: About 80 of these conversions had been completed before the Twilight War.