The Light Strike Vehicle (LSV) is an improved version of the Desert Patrol Vehicle

Desert Patrol Vehicle

The Desert Patrol Vehicle , formerly called the Fast Attack Vehicle , is a high-speed, lightly armored sandrail-like vehicle first used in combat during the Gulf War in 1991. Due to their dash speed and off-road mobility, the DPVs were used extensively during Operation Desert Storm. The first U.S...

 (DPV) it replaced. Several Light Strike Vehicles exist, including a version by Chenowth, the UK's Longline LSV and the Spider Light Strike Vehicle

Spider Light Strike Vehicle

The Spider Light Strike Vehicle is an unarmoured light fast attack vehicle produced by Singapore Technologies Engineering. Similar in concept to the US made Desert Patrol Vehicle and Light Strike Vehicle, it was designed for fast hit-and-run raids, the Spider LSV is also capable of undertaking...

 by Singapore Technologies Engineering. Although the conventional US military replaced its DPVs with Humvees, special operation groups adopted the LSV for its small size and high mobility. It is part of the family of Internally Transportable Light Tactical Vehicles (IT-LTV). It is used for fast hit-and-run style raids (as its name suggests), scouting missions, special forces

Special forces

Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...

 support, and low intensity guerrilla warfare

Guerrilla warfare

Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...

.

Countermeasures

The LSV is entirely unarmored, and thus offers no protection from small arms fire. The driver and passengers sit side by side in front, with the gunner sitting in an elevated rear-central seat in front of engine. The gunner's seat can spin around to operate the 7.62 mm GPMG.

Mobility

It can be air transported internally by CH-47

CH-47 Chinook

The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...

 or CH-53

CH-53 Sea Stallion

The CH-53 Sea Stallion is the most common name for the Sikorsky S-65 family of heavy-lift transport helicopters. Originally developed for use by the United States Marine Corps, it is also in service with Germany, Iran, Israel, and Mexico...

 transport helicopters. The new ALSV has a more conventional appearance and differs from the original versions.

Armament

A 7.62 mm MG (often an M60E3) is mounted rear-facing on the back of the engines. If TOW

BGM-71 TOW

The BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank missile. "BGM" is a weapon classification that stands for "Multiple Environment , Surface-Attack , Missile ". "TOW" is an acronym that stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command data link, guided missile"...

 is mounted, it replaces the third passenger and rollover cage. Two AT4 are sometimes fitted forward-facing on roll over cage bars (one on each side) above driver.

Users

Unlike the DPV, the LSV has had export success and is marketed as a light attack vehicle. The current generation model is the ALSV, with the "A" standing for "advanced". It is currently used by the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

, United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

, United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

, and the armed forces

Armed forces

The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary...

 of Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, Oman

Oman

Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...

, Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, and Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. The UK retired its LSVs in the mid-1990s.

See also

• Chenowth Advanced Light Strike Vehicle
  Chenowth Advanced Light Strike Vehicle
  The Chenowth Advanced Light Strike Vehicle is an all-terrain light military vehicle developed by the United States. It is the successor to the Chenowth Light Strike Vehicle, and features improved performance and armament. The vehicle is relatively small, and can be carried in a transport aircraft...
  
  
• FMC XR311
  FMC XR311
  The XR311 was a prototype military vehicle of US origin, given the nickname G.I. Hotrod.-Development:Development of the XR311 commenced as a private venture in 1969 with the first of two prototypes being completed in 1970. As a result of the trials of these 2 prototypes the US Army purchased 10...
  
  
• List of land vehicles of the U.S. armed forces
• List of U.S. military vehicles by model number, (M1040 and M1041)
• Willys FAMAE Corvo
  Willys FAMAE Corvo
  The Willys FAMAE Corvo was an off road multi purpose vehicle intended for use with the Chilean Armed Forces. Its chassis was originally from a Willys MB and was capable of carrying mounted weapons such as a 106mm launcher....