BV206 and others

The need that military troops and some civilian bodies have to move over all types of terrain has led to the development of various vehicles designed to travel over mountain roads, rocky ground, snow-covered areas and even lakes and flowing rivers. The most well known and capable models have emerged in those countries that need to incorporate them into their Armed Forces because of difficult climates. Such is the case with the Nordic countries, although their vehicles have also had a lot of success in all corners of the world, from the Cambodian jungle to the Alaskan tundra, because of their superior performance and ample operational uses.

The Bv 206
courtesy of Hägglunds Vehicle

Good performance leads to a quick approval
Its capacity to travel over all types of terrain led to the purchase of the first units of a model called Bv 206; the pre-production batch was delivered in I 980.The first Swedish order, a country that currently has more than four thousand of these double-cab vehicles, was followed by an order from Norway in 1981 for 220 units and in 1985 for 2,004 more.

Recently, orders have been filled for a total of more than 10,000 units. Great Britain ordered 600 for its Army Air Force and Royal Marines; the United States uses 1,100 of the M973 SUSV (Small Unit Support Vehicle); the Spanish Army purchased thirty mainly for use in the "Aragon" I Mountain Hunter Brigade; France has incorporated them into their 27th Mountain Division; Canada uses 100, and there are also units used in Germany, Brazil, Chile, China, Holland, Italy, Pakistan and Singapore. Singapore ordered 300 units in 1993, and it is possible, with the development of new models like the Bv 206S armor-plated variant with total protection for all personnel and the new Bv 209, that they will order more. The Bv 209 is an updated model of the 206S with a more advanced engine, more comfortable interior and better protection against various enemy threats.

Superior features and proven efficiency
The Bv 206 basically consists of 2 small waterproof cabs powered by rubber tracks; the first cab is a tractor and tows the second. Manufactured from very resistant, reinforced lightweight plastic fiber, the first cab holds the driver and four more men, while the second, with two benches, can carry up to eleven men or various weapons systems. Many versions have been configured from this basic design, such as anti-tank models with the RBS 56 Bill system, RBS 90 air defense models with vehicles to transport the radar and others, RBS 70, to transport the missile firing squads. There are also variants for anti-air detection with radar detection devices such as the Ericsson Giraffe 50 AT in the C frequency band and models with 81 or 120 millimeter mortar. Finally, there are medical evacuation variants, which are used by the British and Dutch Marines, maintenance vehicles with a crane and a hydraulic towline, rescue vehicles and fire trucks used in the Maldives and by the British Royal Air Force, and command post models with radar equipment in the interior.

BV206 commercial supplier

QuadTech BV206 Spec.

Unless otherwise stated. All information and images are extracted from Anti-Tank Weapons and Military Vehicles and Hägglunds Vehicle
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Last update on Monday, 02 June 2008

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