AVGP
The AVGP (Armoured Vehicle General Purpose), later known as the LAV I, is a series of three amphibious armoured fighting vehicles ordered by the Canadian military in the 1970s. The vehicles, named Grizzly, Cougar and Husky respectively, were based on the six-wheeled version of the Swiss Mowag Piranha I, and became the first generation Light Armoured Vehicle produced by General Motors Diesel (later General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada).
| AVGP | |
|---|---|
A surplus Cougar seen in a militaria event in the UK. | |
| Type | Armoured fighting vehicle |
| Place of origin | Canada |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1976–present |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Production history | |
| No. built | Cougar – 195 Grizzly – 274 Husky – 27 |
| Variants | See Variants |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 10.7 t |
| Length | 5.97 m |
| Width | 2.50 m |
| Crew | Cougar: 3 (Commander, gunner and driver, 2 soldiers in rear of vehicle) Husky: 2 (Driver and technician) Grizzly: Commander, gunner and driver, 6 soldiers in rear |
Main armament | Cougar: 76 mm L23A1 gun (fires HE, HESH, Smoke BE (base ejected), and Canister rounds) Grizzly: 12.7mm heavy machine gun and a 7.62 mm machine-gun (C6) and 66 mm smoke grenade launchers (2 clusters of 4 launchers) Husky: 7.62 mm machine gun (C6) and 66 mm smoke grenade launchers (2 clusters of 4 launchers) |
Secondary armament | Cougar: 7.62 mm machine gun (C6) and 66 mm smoke grenade launchers No 12 (2 clusters of 4 launchers) |
| Engine | 275 hp Detroit Diesel 6V53T two-cycle turbo-charged diesel |
| Suspension | 6×6 |
| Maximum speed | 100 km/h |
The AVGP program led to the development of the 8×8 LAV II, variants of which were adopted as direct replacements for the AVGP. These were the Bison and Coyote Reconnaissance Vehicle, which replaced the Grizzly and Cougar respectively.
The Canadian Army retired all AVGP variants beginning in 2005; however, a number of the retired vehicles were transferred to other militaries and police forces, where they continue in use.