Bison

🇨🇦Canada
Diesel Division General Motors Canada
1996 – Present
Overview
Bison
The Bison Armoured Vehicle is an eight-wheeled armoured vehicle originally designed as an infantry section carrier. It is now an adaptable vehicle with various support variants.
Specifications

General

Crew2
ArmamentC6 7.62mm machine gun, 76-mm multi-barrel grenade dispenser, M72 66-mm rocket launcher
Range Km665 km
AmphibiousYes
Drive Configwheeled 8x8
Max Speed Kmh100 km/h
Weight Tonnes12.39 tonnes
Troop Capacity8
Engine Power Hp275 hp
Main ArmamentC6 7.62mm machine gun
Research Notes

Canadian 8x8 LAV-family support vehicle

The Bison began as an infantry section carrier and evolved into a family of Canadian support variants.

The Canadian Army describes the Bison as an eight-wheeled armoured vehicle originally designed as an infantry section carrier. Its later importance comes from adaptability: instead of remaining only a personnel carrier, the Bison became a platform supporting the LAV III fleet with command, ambulance, repair, recovery, electronic-warfare, reconnaissance, and air-space coordination variants. That evolution reflects a common armored-vehicle pattern: a useful chassis becomes more valuable when it can host multiple battlefield support roles.

Mobile wheeled armored platform with mission modules

The Bison offers 8x8 mobility, two crew, variant-dependent passengers, add-on armour, and light defensive weapons.

Official Canadian data gives the Bison an 8x8 layout, approximately 6.48 m length, 2.82 m width, 2.81 m height, two crew, and variant-dependent passenger capacity. Mobility figures include 100 km/h on-road speed, 65 km/h off-road speed, and long road range. Defensive equipment can include a C6 7.62 mm machine gun, smoke/grenade dischargers, and an M72 rocket launcher. The design is not a heavy infantry fighting vehicle; it is a protected, mobile support chassis that can be tailored to specific battlefield functions.

Support role across Canadian Army formations

The Bison's many variants make it important for command, medical, repair, recovery, reconnaissance, and electronic-warfare support.

The Bison's service value is best seen in the variant list. Command posts help headquarters move with formations; ambulances protect medical evacuation; mobile repair and recovery variants support vehicles in the field; reconnaissance and electronic-warfare variants extend sensing and communications functions. These are the kinds of roles that keep armored units operating but are easy to miss in thin content. A strong Bison page should therefore emphasize that it is a sustainment and command-support vehicle family, not just another APC.

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