LAV-25 Light Armoured Vehicle

An 8 x 8 wheeled, amphibious, light armoured reconnaissance vehicle. The vehicle has a sloped steel armoured hull resistant to small arms fire. The long hull is characterised by a nose sloping back under the first road wheel station and a well sloped glacis plate leading to a horizontal roof. A six man troop compartment is at the far rear. The rear of the hull is vertical with two external opening doors. The hull has provision for the external stowage of tools and equipment. A trim vane is attached at the front of the vehicle. The driver sits front left. The engine compartment is to the right and a two-man power operated turret is located to the rear of vehicle centre and is offset to the left. The turret has a flat front, sides and rear that slopes inwards. A basket is on the rear end of the turret. The turret has 360 degree traverse, is fully stabilised and would normally be armed with a 25 mm Chain Gun. A co-axial 7.62 mm machine gun would also normally be fitted alongside the Chain Gun. The turret has provision for the attachment of smoke dischargers and the stowage of tools and equipment. The vehicle type is fully amphibious with two propellers mounted at the rear. The hull and the turret have numerous aerial location points.

The Memorial's vehicle was a former USMC vehicle, obtained to conduct trial of the vehicle's capabilities. In service in Australia, it would have worn its original USMC camouflage. Prior to delivery to the Memorial in 2004, however, the vehicle was cosmetically configured by General Dynamics Land Systems Darwin with assistance from 2nd Cavalry regiment to resemble one of the ASLAV 25 vehicles that had served in East Timor with INTERFET. This process saw the vehicle painted in the Australian Army matt tan, olive drab and black camouflage pattern. Markings were applied to represent ARN 16004, call sign 3E, 2nd Cavalry regiment. This was the first ASLAV to engage the enemy in East timor. The vehicle's engine and transmission were removed prior to donation together with a number of components needed for maintanence of the Army's then existing fleet. The Chain Gun motor, stabilisaton mechanism and sighting equipment and the co-axial machine gun are not installed. The vehicle's external configuration differs from a conventional ASLAV in the configuration of the driver's hatch, the absence of the ASLAV side hull hatch, the absence of propellor guard, different smoke grenade dischargers, different arrangement of headlights, and different tyre type.

In response to the Government Defence White Paper of 1987 to strengthen Australia's northern defences, extensive trials were conducted with a number of reconnaisance vehicles in service with foreign nations.

The Memorial's Vehicle is an ex-United states Marine Corps vehicle obtained by the Department of Defence in the early 1990s for such trials purposes. 13 similar vehicles were selected at the same time, together with one LAV-R repair and recovery vehicle. On the basis of the trials the LAV (with modifications for Australian conditions) was selected as the basis for the australian Army's fast reconnaisance vehicle.

The modified Australian variant is known as the ASLAV. The most noticable difference seen on the ASLAV is the fluted gun barrel of the M242 Bushmaster main armament, a modified exhaust, relocated aerial mounts, low profile Michelin XML tyres, addidtional stowage baskets, and revised driver's hatch. These vehicles have seen extensive use in Northern Australia, East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.