Following a competition, Textron Marine & Land Systems secured the contract to provide the US Army Military Police with an armoured security vehicle (ASV). This was subsequently type-classified as the M1117 and is also called the Guardian.
The first order for 94 production vehicles (including options) was placed in early 2000. The first production vehicles were completed in 2000.
Since then, additional orders have been placed bringing the total to 104 vehicles with an additional 28 units expected to be ordered in the near future. The US Army has deployed the vehicle overseas, most recently in Iraq.
The M1117 ASV is a further development of the older LAV-150 4 x 4 light armoured vehicle, which was built in large numbers for export.
Standard production M1117 ASVs are fitted with a Textron Marine & Land Systems one-person turret armed with a 40mm MK19 Mod 1 automatic grenade launcher and a 12.7mm M2 HB machine gun.
Turret traverse and weapon elevation is powered; manual controls are provided as a back-up. Mounted either side of the rear of the turret is a bank of four electrically operated smoke grenade launchers.
The weapons are not stabilised but a day/night sight is fitted. For export, Textron is marketing a wide range of other weapon systems.
The hull and turret are of all-welded steel armour construction to which an additional layer of passive armour developed by IBD is fitted. Spall liners are provided internally.
Standard equipment includes independent suspension, run-flat tyre inserts, a nuclear, biological and chemical defensive system, central tyre-pressure regulation system, front-mounted winch, a fire-detection and -suppression system and passive night-vision viewer for the driver. Numerous options are available, such as land navigation system, heater and extensive communications equipment.
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