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The Panhard Véhicule Blindé Léger ("Light armoured
vehicle") - VBL is a wheeled 4x4 all-terrain vehicle offered in
various configurations.
It was designed to combine the agility of the Peugeot VLTT liaison
vehicle with adequate protection against small arms fire, artillery
fragments, mines and NBC weapons.
The VBL is fully amphibious and can swim at 5.4 km/h ; it is also air
transportable by C-130 and C-160, and the future A400M.
The VBL was developed during the 80s and entered operational service
in France in 1990.
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VBL Specifications |
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Type |
Four wheel drive
light armoured vehicle |
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Manufacturer |
Panhard |
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Crew |
3 - 4 |
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Armament |
7.62mm machine gun, 12.7mm machine
gun, Milan, TOW or Mistral missile launcher dependant on variant |
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Length |
4.1m |
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Height |
1.7m |
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Width |
2m |
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Weight |
4 tonnes |
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Powerplant |
Peugeot turbo diesel engine
producing 195hp |
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Performance |
Max speed 95km/h, range 600km |
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Variants |
There are many
variants, falling into two main categories combat/anti-tank
equipped variously with Milan, Eryx, 84 mm AT4CS munitions or
TOW missiles for anti-tank role, Mistral missiles for air
defence and reconnaissance and command equipped with 7.62mm,
12.7mm machine guns or 20mm automatic cannon |
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