Warrior 2000 is a new version of the Warrior which has been developed for the Swiss Army requirement. The first prototype was completed in 1998. Improvements include an all-welded aluminium hull, increased passive applique armour protection, digital fire control system, more powerful engine and a Delco or Land Systems Hagglunds E30 direct electric drive turret with ATK Bushmaster II Mk 44 30mm cannon.

In June 1998 GKN Defence completed trials of the new private venture Warrior 2000 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV).

Warrior 2000 was developed to meet the requirements of the Swiss Army who eventually selected the now BAE Systems Land Systems Hägglunds CV 9030CH to meet its future requirements. The Warrior 2000 continues to be marketed by the now BAE Systems Land Systems.

The Warrior 2000 was designed and built in nine months on the Warrior production line and is based on experience in the design, development and production of 789 Warriors for the British Army and 254 Desert Warriors for the Kuwait Land Force.

Production of the Warrior IFV was undertaken at the now BAE Sytems Land Systems (orignally GKN Defence) production facility, which closed down in 2004/2005. It is expected that all future production will be undertaken at the only remaining facility at Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

The hull of the Warrior 2000 is of all-welded aluminium armour and is slightly longer (230 mm) than previous Warriors. It incorporates stealth technology. Wherever possible, the exterior surfaces of the Warrior 2000 are smooth and the upper hull sides slope slightly inwards.

Over the frontal arc, the armour of the Warrior 2000 provides protection against attack from 30 mm Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) attack. The layout of Warrior 2000 is similar to earlier Warriors with driver front left, power pack to the right, turret in centre and troop compartment at the rear.

The driver has a single-piece hatch cover that opens to the rear with three integral day periscopes. This hatch cover has been backfitted to some British Army Warrior vehicles as a direct replacement for the current Warrior hatch cover, which has a single periscope. The central day periscope in the driver's hatch can be replaced by an image intensification or thermal viewer from within the vehicle.

The Perkins power pack has been uprated to 650 hp and Warrior 2000 has a maximum road speed of 75 km/h, range of 500 km and a combat weight of 31.5 tonnes.

The engine is provided with a twin fan cooling group and this, together with the rear exhaust (right hand side) and air-cooled silencer has led to a reduction in both the thermal and acoustic signatures of the vehicle. The engine decks are lifted by an integral hydraulic ram for ease of maintenance.

The hull incorporates spaced armour which provides protection against 30 mm armour piercing fin stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) projectiles but a higher level of protection is offered similar to that fitted to the British Army and export Warrior vehicles.

A new double pin track has been fitted which is claimed to provide high durability, ease of maintenance and reduced running noise. Quick release track pads for replacement, or installation of ice grousers, are fitted.

Warrior 2000 is fitted with the new General Dynamics Land Systems all-electric two-person turret, armed with a fully stabilised ATK Gun Systems Company 30 mm Bushmaster II cannon with a 7.5 mm machine gun mounted coaxial to the left. Either side of the turret is a bank of four electrically operated 76 mm smoke grenade launchers.

This turret is a further development of the combat proven LAV-25 turret but has a larger turret ring and greater internal volume. It has the same level of armour protection as the hull.

The 30 mm Bushmaster II has three rates of fire, single shot, 200 or 400 rds/min.

The digital fire control system, stabilised gun and stabilised sights ensure a high first round hit probability against stationary and moving targets while Warrior 2000 is stationary or moving. The gunner has twin control handles with the commander having a single control handle, manual controls are provided for emergency use.

The gunner, seated on the left, has a Raytheon stabilised day/thermal sighting system with a laser range-finder and one periscope. The commander, seated on the right, has eight day periscopes for all round observation plus a flat screen display which receives a colour picture from a camera mounted over the 30 mm cannon.

This camera has an autotrack facility as one of the key Swiss requirements was that it should engage helicopters. The commander also has a monitor of the gunner's sight. The commander and gunner each have a single piece hatch cover that opens to the rear.

In addition to the crew of three, Warrior 2000 also carries seven fully equipped troops in the rear who enter and leave via a power operated ramp with an emergency door. There is a large stowage box either side of the hull rear.

Four are seated on the right hand side and three on the left with one of the latter being the dismounted section commander who also has a roof mounted cupola with seven day periscopes and a single piece hatch cover and an electronic display screen. There is also a single piece roof hatch over the right side of the troop compartment that opens outwards.

The video distribution system of the Warrior 2000 provides images to the infantry section in the rear of either the driver's thermal viewer, reversing camera, turret mantlet camera or the day and thermal sights in the turret.

Standard equipment includes spall liners, air conditioning/NBC system, fire detection and suppression system and rear mounted TV camera for the driver.

The Warrior 2000 chassis can be used to mount other weapon systems such as the South African Denel Land Systems 105 mm turret which has a stretch potential to 120 mm.

Late in 2001, the Warrior 2000 IFV was shown fitted with the latest version of the BAE Systems Land Systems Hägglunds E30 two-person electrically operated turret, which is fitted to the CV9030 IFV in service with Finland, Norway and Switzerland.

Key features of this turret include a fully digitised open electronic architecture, CAN-based Vehicle Control System and armed with an ATK Gun Systems Company MK 44 30/40 mm cannon with a 12.7 mm M2 machine gun mounted coaxially.

All electric turret drives are fitted and the fire-control computer includes a digital processor and a dual-axis stabilised independent line of sight stabilisation system is also fitted.