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Piranha 10x10

As if following a certain tradition, in 1992, MOWAG continued to increase the number of wheels of its armored vehicles and launched the Piranha 10x10 project, which involved the creation of a five-axle (!) combat vehicle. Twenty years have passed since then, but still no other armored vehicles with the same or similar chassis have appeared. In fact, the Swiss engineers eventually also came to the conclusion about the redundancy and uselessness of the fifth axis.

Just two years after the start of design work, the first prototype was tested. The eighteen-ton machine had a body length of about 7.2 meters and was equipped with a gun turret. The design of the armored car was based on the developments of the Piranha II project, which affected the level of protection. At the same time, the frontal part was slightly reinforced and began to withstand 14.5 mm bullets. The undercarriage of a ten-wheeled car is interesting. The first four wheels have a spring suspension and are steerable. The remaining six are equipped with torsion bar suspension. By default, only the three rear axles are driven, but if necessary, the driver can turn on the power transmission to the front wheels.

The first prototype was equipped with a French GIAT TML-105 turret with a 105 mm G2 gun. This gun had good fire performance: the initial velocity of the sub-caliber projectile was approximately 1500 m/s. A coaxial rifle-caliber machine gun was installed next to the cannon. The gun ammunition included 38 shells, 12 of which were placed in the turret. In addition to a powerful gun, the Piranha 10x10 armored car could carry a wide range of weapons, generally similar to the previous Piranhas.

The military of Saudi Arabia became interested in the first new "wheeled tank". They spoke well of the characteristics of the car, but later preferred the eight-wheeled armored car of the previous model.

The fact is that the five-axle "Piranha" turned out to be much more expensive than the four-axle. At the same time, the Piranha 10x10 did not have any serious advantages in driving performance or cross-country ability. The project was in danger of closing. The new armored car was saved from a sad fate by the Swedish military. The army of the Scandinavian country in the mid-nineties ordered 33 of these machines. Most of the ordered armored vehicles carry heavy weapons, while the rest are equipped with communications and control equipment. The entire Swedish order was completed by the beginning of the 2000s and more than ten-wheeled Piranhas were not produced. Moreover, the entire direction of such monstrous technology was curtailed.

Before the defense decision in 2000 destroyed large parts of Swedish defense, the then Coast Artillery planned to acquire a state-of-the-art radar and fire control platform. The development work led to the ArtE 740. The system was completed. Five vehicles with radar were built by industry and delivered to FMV.

An all-terrain vehicle, which could be moved quickly, could be quickly grouped, and which would have a state-of-the-art radar and guidance system to be able to deliver targets to various systems within the Navy. Heavy Coastal Robot RBS-15, Sea Front Artillery 12/80, RBS-17. In addition, it would be able to deliver target data into the Navy's collected sea situation picture, which meant that robot-carrying ships could use target positions from an ArtE 740 in advanced mode, for example on Gotland. The radar is a PS-740, a radar in Ericson's giraffe series.

In November 2012, the Swedish Armed Forces decided that the ArtE 740 and other vehicles of the MOWAG PIRANHA 10X10 type would be completely phased out through sale. This with the justification that the need for ArtE 740 has ceased in the Armed Forces. Just over two years later, more specifically in May 2015, the above winding-up decision is revoked. Fortunately, the decommissioning has apparently not been carried out.

In 2014, the Swedish Armed Forces ordered new telewarfare systems but lack the necessary carriers for this material. It has then been concluded that the MOWAG PIRANHA alternative, i.e. the vehicles on which the state-of-the-art ArtE 740 sits today, is the most suitable and cost-effective solution. The cancellation of the decommissioning decision thus only concerns the vehicles. Radar system ArtE 740 must be dismantled and decommissioned.