Armament chain gun is fitted on a LAV III's gun turret, with a machine gun placed atop the turret. The LAV III is fitted with a two-man turret, armed with the
M242 Bushmaster 25 mm caliber chain gun and two FN MAG 7.62 mm machine guns one coaxial and one roof-mounted. The LAV III also has eight 76-mm grenade launchers in two clusters of four launchers positioned on each side of the turret. The grenade launchers are intended for smoke grenades.
Mobility The LAV III is powered by a
Caterpillar 3126 diesel engine developing and can reach speeds above 100 kilometres per hour. The vehicle is fitted with
8x8 drive and also equipped with a central tire inflation system, which allows it to adjust to different terrain, including
off-road. The LAV III is fitted with a modern
anti-locking brake system (ABS). Unlike earlier versions of the LAV, the LAV III does not have
amphibious capabilities. in
Bamyan Province. The LAV III faces the same concerns that most other wheeled military vehicles face. Like all wheeled armoured vehicles, the LAV III's
ground pressure is inherently higher than a tracked vehicle with a comparable weight. This is because tires will have less surface area in contact with the ground when compared to a tracked vehicle. Higher ground pressure results in an increased likelihood of sinking into soft terrain such as mud, snow and sand, leading to the vehicle becoming stuck. The lower ground pressure and improved traction offered by tracked vehicles also gives them an advantage over vehicles like the LAV III when it comes to managing slopes, trenches, and other obstacles. The LAV III can somewhat compensate for these effects by deflating its tires slightly, meaning that the surface area in contact with the ground increases, and the ground pressure is slightly lowered. However, wheels offer several advantages over tracked vehicles, including lower maintenance for both the vehicle and road infrastructure, quieter movement for improved stealth, greater speed over good terrain, and higher ground clearance. Wheeled vehicle crews are also more likely to survive mine or IED attacks than the crew of a similarly armoured tracked vehicle. The LAV III's turret gives the vehicle a higher centre of gravity than the vehicle was initially designed for. This has led to concerns that the vehicle is more likely to roll over on uneven terrain. While there have been several recorded rollovers (about 16), the most common cause was found to be unstable terrain, specifically road shoulders unexpectedly giving away beneath the vehicle. The weight balance of the LAV III is taken into consideration during driver training, largely mitigating the chances of a rollover.
Protection The basic armour of the LAV III, covering the Standardization Agreement
STANAG 4569 level III, which provides all-round protection against
7.62×51mm NATO small calibre rounds. A ceramic appliqué armour (
MEXAS) can be added, which protects against
14.5×114mm heavy calibre rounds from 500 meters. In December 2008 the Government of Canada awarded EODC Engineering, Developing and Licensing Inc. C$81.5 million worth of contracts to provide for add-on-armour kits, modules and spares for its LAV III wheeled armoured personnel carriers. This armour kit is intended to provide increased protection against
improvised explosive devices (IED),
explosively formed penetrators and
30 mm caliber armour piercing rounds. The LAV III can be also fitted with
cage armour, which provides protection against
shaped charges. The LAV III is fitted with a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) filtration system accompanied with a GID-3 chemical detector and AN/VDR-2 radiation detector systems. The LAV III was designed to produce a very low and very compact structure to minimize radar and IR-signatures. The LAV III also uses heat-absorbing filters to provide temporary protection against
thermal imaging (TIS),
image intensifiers and
infrared cameras (IR). General Dynamics is in the process of integrating the LAV III with an
active protection system based on the Israeli
Trophy system. The majority of
Canadian casualties in Afghanistan have occurred during a patrol aboard a LAV III. This can be explained by the fact that the LAV III is the most commonly used Canadian armoured personnel carrier in theatre, and simply represents a normal association between use and likelihood to encounter a mine or improvised explosive device. The LAV III offers comparable or better protection than most other infantry carriers used in Afghanistan. In an effort to improve protection as a result of experiences in
Afghanistan, future LAV III upgrades will likely include improved mine and IED protection.
Sights The LAV III is equipped with a daytime optical
Thermal Imaging System (TIS) and
Generation III Image Intensification (II). The LAV III is equipped with a Tactical Navigation System (TacNav) to assist in navigation and target location tasks. The LAV III is equipped with an
LCD monitor directly connected to the vehicle's external cameras, providing real-time images of the battlefield for the passengers. ==Service history==