The Weasel Light Reconnaissance Vehicle showed up at Modern Day Marine 2015, but its German maker is hoping the U.S. Army will adopt it for scout units.
The tiny armored vehicle recently participated in a two-week vehicle assessment at Fort Benning, Georgia in August along with five other companies as part of the Army’s effort to equip cavalry squadrons a light reconnaissance vehicle.
The vehicle would need to have enough firepower to destroy enemy recon formations. It would also allow them to provide security for light infantry on an approach march in ground mobility vehicles, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, director of Army Capabilities Integration Center and deputy commanding general of Futures at Training and Doctrine Command, told an audience recently at the 2015 Maneuver Conference at Fort Benning, Georgia.
“The scout squads assessed all the vehicles,” said Florian Kolders, senior manager for internationals sales at Rheinmetall Defense. “They liked it. The tracks have a big advantage in that terrain.”
The Weasel is capable of a road speed of about 43 mph and can fit inside a CH-47 helicopter and a C-130 aircraft. It can be equipped with a remote weapon station and features light armor that can protect against 7.62mm ammunition and shell fragments.
The inside is cramped but can hold a crew of six soldiers, including the driver. “Of course it is tight, but every vehicle fit inside a helicopter” is going to have limited room,” Kolders said. 
