 | ||
The M1200 Armored Knight is a precision targeting US military vehicle. Most of the Knights are used for operations in Iraq. The M1200 entered service in 2008.
Contents
Design
These are wheeled armored vehicles, designed using the M1117 Guardian ASV as the base, that carry the equipment needed to quickly bring in guided munitions and indirect artillery fire. According to the Strategy Page website; "The M1200 contains a laser designator, a laser range finder and GPS, plus radios and computers that take target position data and transmit it to distant artillery units, or bombers overhead, and get the firepower on the target within minutes. Previously, all this gear was mounted on an unarmored hummer." The armored knight evolved from the desire to provide enhanced protection to the fire support teams who perform the targeting mission in high threat environments.
Development
The Knight was developed in an effort to offer an armored vehicle capable of keeping up with COLTs (Combat Observation Lasing Teams). The previous FiST-V (Fire Support Team-Vehicle) employed by the COLTs was the M707 Knight (a stripped-down variant of the Humvee).