[3] It was built by General Dynamics Land Systems Canada, and developed from the U.S. Marine Corps' LAV-25 and Canadian Army's Bison armoured fighting vehicles.

[2][5] The ASLAV Type II has no turret and greater internal capacity and is derived from the Canadian Bison Armoured Personnel Carrier.

[2][5] The ASLAV Type III has no turret and is used by members of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers for repair and recovery.

It is armed with a pintle-mounted FN MAG 58 7.62 mm machine gun, although some were temporarily fitted with the Kongsberg Protector RWS for service in the Middle East Area of Operations.

[2][5] The acquisition of the ASLAV family of vehicles for the Australian Army was managed by Defence Materiel Organisation under the multi-phased LAND 112 project.

[5][2][6] The vehicles were similar to those considered by the Australian Army to replace its M113 armoured personnel carriers in the early 1980s under Project Waler.

[7] In April 1989, the Australian Army purchased 15 ex-United States Marine Corps LAV-25 vehicles at a cost of A$28.4 million under LAND 112 Phase 1.

The subsequent report endorsed the WAFV concept, and the Army determined that the LAV was the best vehicle to fulfil the intended role of armoured reconnaissance and surveillance.

Further upgrades to crew protection for vehicles deployed to Iraq occurred with the fitting of bar armour and internal spall liners to better withstand blasts, small-arms hits and fragmentation.

[5][6] The ASLAV is to be replaced in Australian Army service by the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle, under LAND 400 Phase 2, with deliveries expected from 2020.