View source for TH-495

{{Infobox Weapon
| name               = TH 495 Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV)
| image              = 
| caption            = 
| origin             = {{flag|Germany}} <br> {{flag|Canada}}
| type               = [[Infantry fighting vehicle]]
| is_vehicle         = yes
| length             = 5.97m
| width              = 2.94m
| height             = 2.39m
| weight             = 21.6 t
| suspension         = 
| speed              = 75 km/h
| vehicle_range      = 500km
| primary_armament   = [[Oto Melara|Oto Melara T25]] 25 mm [[chain gun]] with [[Thermal Imaging System|TIS]] with 630 rounds <ref name="Henschel"/>
| secondary_armament = 12.7mm guns
| armour             = 
| engine             = 
| engine_power       = 500 Kw/680 HP
| crew               = 3 (+ 6 or 7 passengers)
| pw_ratio           = 
}}

'''TH-495''' was an [[Infantry fighting vehicle|infantry combat vehicle]] being proposed by [[Germany|German]]-based [[Thyssen-Henschel]] for [[NATO]] countries, but it was primarily being pitched to the [[Canadian Forces]] and the then government of [[Brian Mulroney]] in the 1990s.<ref>[http://www.karlheinzschreiber.ca/docs/Tab%2015%20-%20TH%20495%20Roll%20Out.pdf TH 495 ROLLOUTSeptember 28,1992THYSSEN HENSCHEL KASSEL, GERMANY]{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref><ref>[http://www.forecastinternational.com/archive/mv/vv0767.doc TH 495]{{dead link|date=February 2024|bot=medic}}</ref> While designed in [[Germany]], the TH-495 would have been produced by a newly established Thyssen-Henschel Canadian subsidiary called '''Bear Head Industries Limited''' in [[Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia|Cape Breton]], [[Nova Scotia]].
<ref>http://www.karlheinzschreiber.ca/docs/Tab%2014%20-%20Bear%20Head%20Industries%20general%20info.pdf{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref> The proposal was scrapped by the incoming government of [[Jean Chrétien]], which opted to purchase the [[LAV III]] from [[GM Defense]] instead.

The lobby process for this vehicle by [[Karlheinz Schreiber]] and the involvement of Mulroney has led to a public inquiry [[Airbus affair|The Oliphant Commission]].

==Design==

===Armament===
The TH-495 is fitted with a two-man turret, armed with a stabilized T-25 25&nbsp;mm caliber chain gun and coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Defence-Weekly-94/GERMAN-TH-495-SET-FOR-MALAYSIAN-ARMY-TRIALS.html |title=GERMAN TH 495 SET FOR MALAYSIAN ARMY TRIALS|publisher=|date=1994-11-05}}</ref><ref name="TH495">{{cite web|url=http://mulroneymediaroom.com/wp-content/thyssenbrochure.pdf |title=TH 495 Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714133047/http://mulroneymediaroom.com/wp-content/thyssenbrochure.pdf |archivedate=2011-07-14 }}</ref> One more 12.7&nbsp;mm machine gun is positioned on top of the turret.<ref name="TH495"/> The ammunition capacity is approximatively 1200 rounds; 630 rounds ready to fire and 510 in storage.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mulroneymediaroom.com/wp-content/ThyssenBrochure1.pdf |title=Thyssen Henschel |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714131533/http://mulroneymediaroom.com/wp-content/ThyssenBrochure1.pdf |archivedate=2011-07-14 }}</ref>

===Mobility===
The TH-495 is powered by a diesel engine developing 680 horsepower, and can reach speeds of 75 kilometres per hour.<ref name="Henschel">{{cite web|url=http://mulroneymediaroom.com/wp-content/ThyssenBrochure2.pdf |title=Henschel Defense Technology TH 495 Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714133052/http://mulroneymediaroom.com/wp-content/ThyssenBrochure2.pdf |archivedate=2011-07-14 }}</ref>  The TH-495 is fitted with a modern dual circuit brake system.<ref name="Henschel"/> The TH-495 has a maximum road range of 500 kilometers. The TH-495 offers quieter movement for improved stealth, greater speed over good terrain, and higher ground clearance for protection against mines and improvised explosive devices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.karlheinzschreiber.ca/docs/Tab%2014%20-%20Bear%20Head%20Industries%20general%20info.pdf|title=Bear head Industries LTD|publisher=|accessdate=}}{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref>

===Protection===
The basic armor of the TH-495, covering the standardization agreement [[STANAG 4569]] level 4, which provides an all-round protection against 14.5x114mm. The modular add-on armor plating can be easily and quickly exchanged to adapt to the ballistic protection requirement of each variant for each mission threats situation.<ref name="Henschel"/> The TH-495 was designed to produce a very low and very compact structure to minimize radar and IR-signatures.<ref name="Henschel"/> The TH-495 is fitted with a nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) filtration system accompanied with a chemical detector and radiation detector systems.<ref name="Henschel"/> The TH-495 also uses heat-absorbing filters to provide temporary protection against [[thermal imaging]] (TIS), image intensifier and [[infrared camera]] (IR).<ref name="TH495"/>

==Variants==
* '''Command Post Vehicle''' (CPV)
* '''[[Infantry Section Carrier]]''' (ISC)
* '''[[Military engineering vehicle|Combat Engineer Vehicle]]''' (CEV)
* '''Observation Post Vehicle''' (OPV)
* '''[[TOW Under Armour]]''' (TUA)
* '''[[Air Defense Anti-Tank System]]''' (ADATS)
* '''Armoured Gun System''' (AGS)
* '''Armoured Ambulance''' (AA)
* '''Logistical Transport'''

==See also==
* [[Rheinmetall]] [[Marder (IFV)]] {{GER}}
* [[BAE Systems AB]] [[Combat Vehicle 90]] {{SWE}}
* [[Rheinmetall]]/[[Krauss-Maffei]] [[Puma (IFV)]] {{GER}}
* [[GKN]] [[Warrior tracked armoured vehicle]] {{UK}}
* [[United Defense]] [[M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle]] {{USA}}

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cite web|url=http://www.janes.com/articles/Janes-Defence-Weekly-93/SECOND-PROTOTYPE-TH-495-COMPLETED.html|title=SECOND PROTOTYPE TH 495 COMPLETED|date=11 December 1993|work=www.janes.com}}

[[Category:Tracked infantry fighting vehicles]]
[[Category:Armoured fighting vehicles of Canada]]
[[Category:Armoured fighting vehicles of Germany]]