Editing AVGP (section)

==History==
===Canada===
[[File:Canadian AVGP swimming.jpg|thumb|right|Cougar swimming]]
[[File:Canadian AVGP rear q.jpg|thumb|right|Cougar]]

In 1974 the Canadian military launched an acquisition program to procure a light vehicle for the Army reserves. The Army desired a flexible vehicle that could be adapted to serve in many different styles of conflict. The military drafted requirements for four different variants. [[Cadillac-Gage]] seemed primed to win this contract. The Swiss firm [[Mowag]] pitched its [[Mowag Piranha|Piranha]]. Mowag partnered with [[General Motors Diesel]] to manufacture the AVGP at GM's plant in London, Ontario. In March&nbsp;1976, the Piranha was selected.<ref name="Maas"/>

The AVGP variants were introduced into Canadian service in the late 1970s.<ref name=CasrAvgp2009-09>{{cite news |url=http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-lav.htm |title=Background – Armoured Vehicle, General Purpose – 6x6 AVGPs |publisher=[[Canadian American Strategic Review]] |date=September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007153515/http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-lav.htm |archive-date=2009-10-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The AVGP had [[propeller]]s and trim vanes for amphibious use, like the eight-wheeled [[Bison armoured personnel carrier|Bison]], which was the vehicle family's immediate successor.

The Cougar was used for training in Canada as a [[reconnaissance]] vehicle.<ref name=CasrCougar2009-09>{{cite news |url=http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-cougar.htm |title=Background – Armoured Vehicle, General Purpose – Cougar DFSV |publisher=[[Canadian American Strategic Review]] |date=September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007205153/http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-cougar.htm |archive-date=2009-10-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the 1980s and 1990s, it was used by armoured units as a fire support vehicle, for those units not equipped with the [[Leopard 1|Leopard]] tank.

The Grizzly was used as an armoured personnel carrier in regular force infantry battalions not equipped with the [[M113]] APC, and also by reserve units. The majority of vehicles had their marine propulsion systems removed. Under the Wheeled LAV Life Extension project, the Canadian Forces planned to convert Grizzly and Husky vehicles to support variants, such as Command Post and Mobile Repair Team Vehicle. However, the project was cancelled in 2005, and the vehicles retired.<ref name=CasrGrizzly2009-09/><ref name=CasrHusky2009-09>{{cite news |url=http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-husky.htm |title=Background – Armoured Vehicle, General Purpose – the Husky ARV |publisher=[[Canadian American Strategic Review]] |date=September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091007205208/http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-husky.htm |archive-date=2009-10-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/lf/english/11_6_3.asp |title=Canadian Army Fact Sheet |publisher=[[Department of National Defence (Canada)|Department of National Defence]]|date=2008-05-28|access-date=2009-01-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211041011/http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/lf/english/11_6_3.asp |archive-date=2009-02-11 }}</ref>

The AVGP was passed on to several United Nations missions, including [[UNPROFOR]] and the mission to Somalia. One Grizzly was captured by Serb forces in the late 1990s, where it was present on a peace keeping mission.<ref>{{cite web|title=Captured Grizzly |author=Frank Kuschnereit |url=http://kuschnereit.net/lostgriz.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091022000321/http://geocities.com/frank249/lostgriz.html |archive-date=2009-10-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In May 2007, the [[Edmonton Police Service]] accepted the donation of a disarmed Grizzly from the Canadian Army.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tactical |publisher=Edmonton Police Service |url=http://www.edmontonpolice.ca/home/communitypolicing/operationalservices/tactical.aspx |access-date=15 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110704183210/http://www.edmontonpolice.ca/home/communitypolicing/operationalservices/tactical.aspx |archive-date=4 July 2011 }}</ref> In 2020 it was retired and replaced with the Quebec-made Camblie BlackWolf based on the [[Ford F-550]].{{citation needed|date=August 2023}}

In March 2010, the [[Canadian Army]] donated two disarmed Cougar AVGPs to the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] in British Columbia for use by the [[Emergency Response Team (RCMP)|Emergency Response Team]].{{citation needed|date=October 2011}} They were retrofitted to transport ERT assault teams into hazardous areas where transport in unarmoured vehicles would not be safe.

In April 2013, the department of National Defence donated a Cougar AVGP to the Windsor Police Service in Windsor, Ontario and another to the New Glasgow Regional Police in Nova Scotia. The New Glasgow Regional Police ended use of the AVGP in 2017 with plans to donate it to another Police Service, citing difficulty in driving and lack of regular use. In 2020 the Windsor Police replaced their AVGP with the Ontario built [[Terradyne Armored Vehicles Gurkha]] based on the Ford F-550.

===Use in Africa===
In June 2005, the Canadian government announced plans to loan 105 AVGPs (100 Grizzlys and 5 Huskys) to African peacekeepers in the [[Darfur]] region of [[Sudan]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article12669 |title=Canadian tanks muscle AU forces |date=2005-11-21 |access-date=2008-12-10 |work=[[Sudan Tribune]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130153520/http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article12669 |archive-date=2006-11-30 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=CasrSudan>{{cite news |url=http://www.casr.ca/bg-sudan.htm |title=Background — CF AVGPs for the African Union Mission in Sudan |publisher=[[Canadian American Strategic Review]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922073356/http://www.casr.ca/bg-sudan.htm |archive-date=2009-09-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The AVGP was considered sufficiently modern to be useful in this low-intensity conflict. Canada planned to arrange for civilian contractors to maintain these vehicles. As the vehicles contained some U.S.-manufactured or licensed parts, U.S. permission would be required to loan the vehicles. Initially, the vehicles were to be shipped without their [[Cadillac-Gage turret]]s. The vehicles arrived in [[Senegal]] in the late summer of 2005.<ref name=Casr2009-10SudanAvgp>{{cite news |url=http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-darfur.htm |title=Background — AVGPs in Africa — Grizzlys and Huskys for Darfur |publisher=[[Canadian American Strategic Review]] |date=October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031044208/http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-darfur.htm |archive-date=2009-10-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=AmnestyInternationalDarfur2008-02-07>{{cite news |url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGAFR540072008 |title=UNAMID UPDATE: TIME FOR EFFECTIVE ACTION |publisher=[[Amnesty International]] |date=2008-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091119132458/http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGAFR540072008 |archive-date=2009-11-19 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Sudanese government required various kinds of assurances before they would allow peacekeepers to use the vehicles in Sudan. On November 18, 2005, the vehicles started arriving in Sudan, in white livery, with their turrets.<ref name="GlobeAndMail051115">{{Cite news|date=2019-03-20|title=Armoured vehicles approved for Sudan – The Globe and Mail|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/armoured-vehicles-approved-for-sudan/article22506799/|access-date=2021-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320081240/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/armoured-vehicles-approved-for-sudan/article22506799/|archive-date=2019-03-20}}</ref> The loan of vehicles for peace-keeping service in Sudan was originally for one year.<ref name=Casr2009-10SudanAvgp/><ref name=AmnestyInternationalDarfur2008-02-07/>

However, the loan was extended, and transferred from the African Union to the United Nations. According to [[Amnesty International]], the soldiers who used the loaned vehicles served in Sudan for too short a term to be properly trained and become experienced. One of the vehicles was destroyed by a [[rocket-propelled grenade]].<ref name=Casr2009-10SudanAvgp/> A second vehicle was damaged when it rammed a more heavily armed, but unarmoured [[Technical (fighting vehicle)|Technical]] vehicle.

===Uruguay===
[[File:MONUSCO UNPOL SENFPU train URUBATT -5 June 2020 (49973249841).jpg|thumb|Turretless Cougar serving with the Uruguayan contingent of [[MONUSCO]] in [[Goma]], June 2020]]
In 2008, the [[Armed Forces of Uruguay|Uruguayan Army]] bought 44 surplus Cougars from the Canadian Army.<ref name="Uruguay">{{cite web|url=http://panamericandefense.com/2008/12/10/lav-uruguay/ |title=Pan American Defence Online |access-date=2008-12-10 |language=es |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090712025412/http://panamericandefense.com/2008/12/10/lav-uruguay/ |archive-date=July 12, 2009 }}</ref><ref name=CasrAvgpUpdate2009-10>{{cite news |url=http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-wlav-le.htm |title=Background – AVGPs and the Wheeled LAV Life Extension Project |publisher=[[Canadian American Strategic Review]] |date=October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091031044213/http://www.casr.ca/bg-army-armour-avgp-wlav-le.htm |archive-date=2009-10-31 |url-status=dead }}</ref> They were rebuilt without the turret by the Chilean MOWAG-Piranha builder FAMAE, as they will act as armoured personnel carriers for the UN deployment in the Republic of Congo ([[United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo|MONUC]]), and domestically.

In 2009, Uruguay bought 98 Grizzlys and 5 Huskys that were on loan with the AMIS/UNAMID mission in Darfur.<ref name="UD">{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.defensa.com/uruguay/ejercito-uruguayo-pone-punto-blindados-mowag-husky-grizzly |title=El Ejército Uruguayo pone a punto sus blindados Mowag Husky y Grizzly |language=es |trans-title=The Uruguayan Army prepares its Mowag Husky and Grizzly armoured vehicles |first=Javier |last=Bonilla |date = 13 June 2017 |magazine=Defensa |publisher=Grupo Edefa |access-date=2019-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207144834/http://www.defensa.com/uruguay/ejercito-uruguayo-pone-punto-blindados-mowag-husky-grizzly |archive-date=2018-02-07 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was reported that FAMAE was contracted in 2011 to modernize the vehicles by installing new engines and gearboxes, as well as performing preventive maintenance.<ref name="UD"/>