The AEV 3 Kodiak is a Leopard 2 main battle tank (MBT) based armoured engineering vehicle that can be used for a wide variety of battlefield engineering, infrastructure and support roles. The Kodiak development project started taking shape in 1999, when the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, FMV, was asked to secure an armoured engineer vehicle. These roles can include, but would not be limited to, minefield breaching, route denial, dozing and digging tasks, and the erection or demolition of obstacles. The vehicle was originally developed for a Swiss Army requirement by the consortium of Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (Germany) and RUAG Defence (Switzerland).
English nomenclature for the vehicle is now AEV 3 Kodiak, while German is Pionierpanzer 3 (PiPz 3) Kodiak. Depending on user or reference source the AEV 3 Kodiak may also be referred to as Gepanzerte Pioniermaschine Kodiak, AEBV (Armoured Engineering and Breaching Vehicle), Armoured Engineer Vehicle 3 Kodiak, Ingenj̦rbandvagn 120, or the L2-AEV. Sweden formally launched the requirement that would procure six AEV 3 S (S РSwedish) with the local designation of Ingenj̦rbandvagn 120 in 2005. Swedish and Dutch vehicles reportedly share 95% commonality. Singapore ordered a total of fourteen AEV 3 Kodiak ,known locally as L2-AEV.
The AEV 3 Kodiak typically uses surplus Leopard 2 hulls from existing users, but is available as a new-build vehicle on a current-generation Leopard 2 hull. Generic modifications include the removal of the turret and installation of a completely new fixed superstructure, the installation of a hydraulic mounting for a dozer blade or mine clearing plough, and the installation of a telescopic arm typically fitted with an excavator bucket. The fixed superstructure of the AEV 3 Kodiak is constructed from all-welded steel, the protection level of which is classified, and for which a mine-protection package has been developed.
The vehicle is armed with a remote control weapon station that can be outfitted with a 12.7mm machine gun or 40mm automatic grenade launcher (AGL). The weapon station can be mounted with an IR camera, daylight camera and laser range-finder. A smoke grenade launcher is also fitted. The AEV3 Kodiak is equipped with a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) suite for protection against direct contact with and contamination by radioactive, biological or chemical substances. In common with the Leopard 2 MBT, the AEV 3 Kodiak is powered by a powerpack assembly consisting of an MTU 873 Ka-501 V-12 diesel coupled to a Renk HSWL 354 transmission.
