In the early 1970s, the U.S. Army's Military Police service sought a new quick-response, air-transportable wheeled armored vehicle and this was fleshed out with a formal request drawn up in 1976. Verne Corporation moved to fulfill the request and produced two pilot forms for 1978 but the Military Police abandoned the venture by this time. The resulting design (the "Dragoon") was eventually adopted in small numbers by the United States Army and Navy and served in experimental, security and patrol roles with official service entry being in 1982. In time, operators went on to include Cameroon, Pakistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey and Venezuela with some of the Pakistani stock being produced in local factories.
The Verne Corporation later merged with Arrowpointe Corporation to become the AV Technology Corporation. It now falls under the General Dynamics Land Systems parent brand.
Its base design borrowed components from the in-service U.S. M809 military truck as well as the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). As such, the Dragoon was marketed as something of a budget- and logistically-friendly offering particularly for those nations already operating one or both of the American vehicles.
Due to this multirole / multipurpose design, the Dragoon could be outfitted with a variety of weapons including turret-based ones. This led to a 90mm-armed form (two-man turret) as well as 20mm / 25mm autocannon models. Secondary armament was usually a single 7.62mm machine gun in a coaxial mounting in the turret. A typical fit for base Dragoons, however, remains a single 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun as seen in the standard M113 APC.
In service, the Dragoon has undertaken various combat and non-combat roles including general reconnaissance, riot control, engineering service and Command and Control (C2). Beyond these, the base vehicle has also been used as a mortar carrier and ATGM carrier.
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Cameroon; Guatemala; Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey; United States; Venezuela
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Amphibious Assault
Traverse bodies of open water under own power with / without preparation.
✓Anti-Tank / Anti-Armor
Base model or variant can be used to track, engage, and defeat armored enemy elements at range.
✓Engineering
Onboard systems provide solutions to accomplish a variety of battlefield engineering tasks.
✓Armored Car
Design, of typically lightweight nature, providing onroad/offroad capabilities for the scouting or general security roles.
✓Reconaissance
Can conduct reconnaissance / scout missions to assess threat levels, enemy strength, et al - typically through lightweight design.
✓Utility
General utility-minded design to accomplish a variety of battlefield tasks, typically in a non-direct-combat fashion.
✓Special Purpose
Special purpose design developed to accomplish an equally-special battlefield role or roles.
Length
19.4 ft 5.9 m
Width
8.2 ft 2.5 m
Height
9.2 ft 2.8 m
Weight
27,999 lb 12,700 kg
Tonnage
14.0 tons LIGHT
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base AV Technology Dragoon production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)
Powerplant:
1 x Detroit Diesel 6V-53T 6-cylinder turbocharged diesel-fueled engine developing 300 horsepower.
STANDARD:
1 x 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun on hull roof.
OPTIONAL:
1 x 90mm main gun in turret OR 1 x 20mm / 25mm autocannon in powered turret.
1 x 7.62mm machine gun in coaxial mounting (if turret is equipped).
Also Anti-Tank Guided Missile Launchers, 81mm / 120mm Mortars and Recoilless Rifles.
Supported Types
(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
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Cameroon; Guatemala; Thailand; Tunisia; Turkey; United States; Venezuela
