Perkins unveils new power pack for LAVs

Perkins Defence Operations, a supplier of diesel engines and power packs for military applications, has unveiled its new light armoured vehicle diesel engine package this month at the EUROSATORY 2000 defence exhibition at Le Bourget, France.

The package is based upon a Caterpillar C9 engine, rated at an emissions-compliant 298kW (4OObhp), which can be linked to a range of automatic transmissions to provide a state-of-the-art power pack for a number of current and proposed wheeled light armoured vehicles in the 15 to 25 tonne weight range. The power pack on display at Eurosatory consists of the C9 and the ZF Friedrichshafen HP7 Ecomat transmission and has been developed for the MOWAG Piranha III vehicle.

The 9 litre in-line six cylinder C9 engine incorporates technologies developed for the commercial automotive market, including Caterpillar's own hydraulic electronic unit injector (HEUI) fuel injection system. The advanced diesel engine management controller allows multiple power and torque options to be pre-programmed by the user, with maximum available power of 298kW (4OObhp) in emissions-compliant on-highway mode increasing to 373kW (5OObhp) in combat mode.

Caterpillar's 7.2 litre 3126 diesel engine is already installed in the Diesel Division, General Motors of Canada LAV Ill light armoured vehicle in service with the Canadian Army. The vehicle is currently under consideration by the US Army for its interim armoured vehicle (IAV) requirement.

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