Armored Vehicles

LAV III

Also known as
  • LAV-3
  • LAV 3
  • LAVIII
  • Light Armoured Vehicle III
  • Light Armored Vehicle III
  • LAV III Kodiak
  • Kodiak
  • NZLAV

The LAV III is Canada's third-generation 8x8 Light Armoured Vehicle, developed from the MOWAG Piranha III into an infantry fighting vehicle with a two-man 25 mm turret and protected mobility for mechanized infantry. It became a central Canadian Army platform in Afghanistan, generated New Zealand's NZLAV branch, and Canada later announced LAV-III vehicles for Ukraine during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.

LAV III, 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle, Armored Vehicles
Image source: File:LAVIII.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Canada
Type
8x8 infantry fighting vehicle
Service note
Entered Canadian service in 1999; upgraded or transferred in later LAV 6.0, NZLAV, and aid-package contexts
Designer
General Motors Defense / General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada
Designed
1990s
Produced
Late 1990s-2000s for original LAV III and NZLAV production; later upgraded under LAV III Upgrade programs
Number built
651 Canadian LAV III vehicles ordered in the original Canadian program; 105 NZLAV vehicles procured by New Zealand
Developed from
MOWAG Piranha III / Canadian LAV family
Developed into
Stryker family and LAV 6.0 upgrade family

Specifications

Crew and passengers
3 crew and 7 passengers in the Canadian Army equipment page
Primary armament
M242 25 mm Bushmaster cannon
Secondary armament
C9A2 5.56 mm light machine gun, C6 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, and 76 mm multi-barrel grenade dispenser in Canadian Army specifications
Engine
Water-cooled 6-cylinder 350 hp turbocharged diesel engine with automatic transmission
Mobility
Selectable 4x4 or 8x8 drive; up to 100 km/h on roads and 70 km/h off road
Range
450 km on road and 350 km off road
Combat load
16,958 kg in Canadian Army specifications
Dimensions
6.98 m length, 2.71 m width, and 2.81 m height
Fording
Hard-bottomed water fording to 1.5 m
Design And Upgrade Context

The LAV III kept the Canadian LAV line's wheeled mobility but moved the Canadian Army toward a larger Piranha III-based infantry vehicle with a 25 mm turret and mission variants for command, observation, engineering, and anti-armour work.

Canadian design base

The LAV III Living Monument says Canada and General Motors used the MOWAG Piranha 3 as the starting platform, then redesigned other systems with Canadian Army engineering and user input.

Source: LAV III Living Monument Evolution.

Afghanistan lessons

General Dynamics says the LAV III Upgrade program delivered vehicles in LAV 6.0 configuration with double-V hull protection, mobility improvements, vetronics, and added growth capacity.

Source: General Dynamics LAV III Upgrade.

Ukraine aid boundary

The Ukraine row is based on an announced Canadian transfer package and Canada's in-progress vehicle-aid listing, not independent battlefield loss or front-line-use documentation.

Sources: Canada Military Support to Ukraine; Ukrainska Pravda LAV-III Ukraine Package.

Variants

The LAV III family covers Canadian mission variants, New Zealand's NZLAV branch, and later upgrade paths rather than a single fixed troop-carrier layout.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Infantry Section CarrierCanadian infantry fighting vehicle

The Canadian Army lists infantry section carrier vehicles among LAV III variants, with a 25 mm M242 cannon, C6 coaxial machine gun, C9A2 light machine gun, and 76 mm grenade dischargers.

Sources: Canadian Army LAV III

Command Post VehicleCommand-and-control variant

Canada lists command post vehicles as a LAV III variant family.

Sources: Canadian Army LAV III

Observation Post VehicleForward-observation and surveillance variant

Canada lists observation post vehicles as part of the LAV III variant set.

Sources: Canadian Army LAV III

Engineer LAVCombat-engineer support variant

Canadian Army material lists engineer vehicles, and the LAV III Living Monument describes engineer vehicles among the original Canadian contract variants.

Sources: Canadian Army LAV III, LAV III Living Monument Evolution

TOW Under ArmourAnti-tank missile variant

The Canadian Army lists TOW under-armour vehicles as a LAV III variant; the monument history says a TOW anti-armour missile variant was developed and tested but not fielded by Canada.

Sources: Canadian Army LAV III, LAV III Living Monument Evolution

NZLAVNew Zealand LAV III branch

The New Zealand Defence Force identifies the NZLAV as a General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada third-generation LAV-III with M242 25 mm cannon, MAG-58 machine guns, and grenade dischargers.

Sources: NZDF NZLAV

LAV 6.0 ACSV, 8x8 armoured combat support vehicle, Armored VehiclesLAV 6.0 ACSVLater LAV 6.0 support-vehicle branch

Canada's LAV III Upgrade project converted LAV III fleets toward the LAV 6.0 configuration, while the catalog's LAV 6.0 ACSV record covers the later turretless support-vehicle branch supplied to Ukraine.

Sources: Canada LAV III Upgrade Project

Mounted Cannon

The standard LAV III infantry-carrier turret carries the M242 25 mm Bushmaster as its main gun.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
M242 Bushmaster, 25 mm chain gun autocannon, Armored VehiclesM242 Bushmaster25 mm chain gun

The Canadian Army LAV III equipment page lists the M242 25 mm Bushmaster cannon among the vehicle's weapons.

Sources: Canadian Army LAV III

Timeline

LAV III Key Events

  1. Original Canadian contract

    The LAV III Living Monument records a 1994 General Motors contract for 651 Canadian LAV III vehicles in four core variants.

    Sources: LAV III Living Monument Evolution

  2. Canadian service entry

    The monument's deployment history says the LAV III entered service in 1999 and was fielded before Canada's Afghanistan commitment expanded.

    Sources: LAV III Living Monument Deployment

  3. LAV III photographed at Forward Operating Base Zettlemeyer

    The LAV III Living Monument identifies a Canadian 1 RCR Battle Group LAV III arriving at FOB Zettlemeyer in Kandahar during Joint Task Force Afghanistan.

    Sources: LAV III Living Monument Deployment

  4. LAV III Upgrade contract awarded

    Canada awarded General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada a contract to upgrade 550 LAV III vehicles, with later updates adding LORIT vehicles and completing final delivery in 2019.

    Sources: Canada LAV III Upgrade Project, General Dynamics LAV III Upgrade

  5. Ukraine package identifies LAV-III vehicles

    Ukrainska Pravda, citing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv, reported that Canada's aid package would include 25 LAV-III infantry fighting vehicles for Ukraine.

    Sources: Ukrainska Pravda LAV-III Ukraine Package

Media

LAV III Images

LAV III, 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle, Armored Vehicles - view 1
Source: File:LAV III Exhibition 04.jpg
LAV III, 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle, Armored Vehicles - view 2
Source: File:LAVIII.jpg
Related Weapon Systems
LAV 6.0, 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesLAV 6.08x8 infantry fighting vehicleThe LAV 6.0 is Canada's upgraded 8x8 Light Armoured Vehicle family, built by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada from the LAV III upgrade program. The infantry section carrier keeps a 25 mm M242 turret but adds a 450 hp powerpack, stronger mobility package, add-on armour, and improved protection. Canada describes it as the Canadian Army's primary infantry fighting vehicle, while 2026 government reporting tied 66 former LRSS reconnaissance LAV 6.0 vehicles to planned military aid for Ukraine during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War.
LAV 6.0 ACSV, 8x8 armoured combat support vehicle, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesLAV 6.0 ACSV8x8 armoured combat support vehicleThe LAV 6.0 ACSV is Canada's turretless 8x8 Armoured Combat Support Vehicle family, built by General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada on the LAV 6.0 chassis to replace older Bison and M113 support vehicles. Canadian procurement records describe eight variants across Type 2, Type 2+, and Type 3 groups: troop/cargo, ambulance, command post, electronic warfare, engineer, fitter/cargo, maintenance and recovery, and mobile repair team vehicles. Canada has transferred ACSV vehicles to Ukraine, where the type is documented as a Canadian-built protected mobility and support platform for Ukrainian forces.
MOWAG Piranha, Wheeled armored personnel carrier family, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesMOWAG PiranhaWheeled armored personnel carrier familyThe MOWAG Piranha is a Swiss family of wheeled armored vehicles built around modular 6x6, 8x8, and 10x10 chassis for troop transport, reconnaissance, command, engineering, mortar, air-defense, and other mission fits. GDELS traces the family from the 1972 Piranha I through later Piranha II, III, and 5 generations; in the 2009 Boko Haram Insurgency, Swiss reporting identifies Nigerian Piranha I 6x6 vehicles captured from army stocks and associated with Boko Haram or ISWAP use.
Spartan Mk III infantry mobility vehicle, 4x4 infantry mobility vehicle / light armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesSpartan Mk III infantry mobility vehicle4x4 infantry mobility vehicle / light armored personnel carrierThe Spartan Mk III is a STREIT Group 4x4 infantry mobility vehicle built around a Ford F-550-based armored hull for protected troop movement, convoy security, and counter-terrorism work. The family includes the Ukrainian AvtoKrAZ-built KrAZ Spartan licensed derivative, with documented conflict evidence spanning Nigerian Army use and insurgent possession caveats, Libyan battlefield capture context, and Ukrainian KrAZ-Spartan service.
Patria AMV, 8x8 modular wheeled armored personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicle family, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesPatria AMV8x8 modular wheeled armored personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicle familyPatria AMV is Finland's modular 8x8 armored wheeled vehicle family, developed by Patria for troop transport, infantry fighting, command, ambulance, reconnaissance, fire-support, anti-tank, repair, and mortar-carrier roles. The family includes the current AMV XP branch, AMOS mortar-carrier integration, licensed derivatives such as Poland's KTO Rosomak supplied to Ukraine, and UAE variants documented in Yemen with remote weapon stations and BMP-3-derived turret fits.

Sources

Canadian Army LAV IIIPublisher: Canadian Army, Government of Canada | Note: Supports LAV III identity, Canadian variant list, crew/passenger figures, weapons, dimensions, mobility, range, fording, and other specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-08LAV III Living Monument EvolutionPublisher: Royal Military College of Canada / LAV III Living Monument | Note: Supports LAV III design history, General Motors Defense and GDLS-Canada context, Piranha 3 starting point, 1994 contract, original variant set, and Stryker/NZLAV family context. | Accessed: 2026-07-08LAV III Living Monument DeploymentPublisher: Royal Military College of Canada / LAV III Living Monument | Note: Directly supports LAV III service with Canadian forces in the 2001 War in Afghanistan and supports fielding, Kandahar operational context, and Afghanistan mobility/fire-support role. | Accessed: 2026-07-08Canada LAV III Kandahar IED IncidentPublisher: National Defence, Government of Canada | Note: Directly supports LAV III presence and use by Canadian forces in the 2001 War in Afghanistan through two August 2006 LAV III IED incidents near Pashmul, southwest of Kandahar City. | Accessed: 2026-07-08Canada LAV III Upgrade ProjectPublisher: National Defence, Government of Canada | Note: Supports LAV III Upgrade project scope, GDLS-Canada contractor role, protection/mobility/lethality upgrade goals, first delivery, full operational capability, and final vehicle delivery updates. | Accessed: 2026-07-08General Dynamics LAV III UpgradePublisher: General Dynamics | Note: Supports GDLS-Canada upgrade work, LAV 6.0 configuration context, Afghanistan lessons, double-V hull, protection and mobility enhancements, and vetronics upgrades. | Accessed: 2026-07-08NZDF NZLAVPublisher: New Zealand Defence Force | Note: Supports NZLAV as a GDLS-Canada third-generation LAV-III branch, with weight range, transportability, M242 armament, MAG-58 machine guns, grenade dischargers, and Afghanistan deployment note. | Accessed: 2026-07-08Canada Military Support to UkrainePublisher: National Defence, Government of Canada | Note: Direct conflict-use source for the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War; supports Canada's in-progress donation of 25 refurbished and modernized light armoured vehicles and broader armoured-vehicle support to Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-07-08Ukrainska Pravda LAV-III Ukraine PackagePublisher: Ukrainska Pravda | Note: Direct conflict-use source for the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War; reports, citing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv on February 24, 2025, that Canada's aid package would include 25 LAV-III infantry fighting vehicles for Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-07-08File:LAVIII.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source for the primary LAV III image. | Accessed: 2026-07-08File:LAV III Exhibition 04.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source for the gallery image of a Canadian Army LAV III in Toronto. | Accessed: 2026-07-08File:LAV III.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source for the gallery image of a LAV III shown at the 2009 Canadian International Autoshow. | Accessed: 2026-07-08