Saxon (vehicle)

Saxon
A Hong Kong Police Force Police Tactical Unit Saxon AT105, all retired in 2009.
Type	Armoured personnel carrier
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
Used by	Operators
Production history
Manufacturer	GKN Sankey Formerly by Alvis plc
Specifications
Weight	10.6 tonnes
Length	5.17 m (17 ft 0 in)
Width	2.49 m (8 ft 2 in)
Height	2.63 m (8 ft 8 in)
Crew	2
Main armament	7.62 mm MG
Secondary armament	none
Engine	Bedford 500 6-cyl diesel 164 hp (122 kW)
Payload capacity	10 passengers
Suspension	Wheel 4x4
Operational range	510 km (320 mi)
Speed	96 km/h (60 mph)

The Saxon is an armoured personnel carrier used by the British Army and supplied in small numbers to various overseas organisations. It was developed by GKN Sankey from earlier projects, AT 100 IS and AT104, and was due to be replaced by the Future Rapid Effect System. It was first produced by Alvis plc.

The Saxon was intended to act as a cheap but efficient "battle-taxi" for units that would have to make long journeys from the UK to reinforce the British Army of the Rhine. It was made as a relatively low cost armoured personnel carrier based on a revised Bedford M series 4x4 truck chassis and other commercially available components. As a lightly armoured wheeled vehicle, it is much faster - especially on roads - and easier to maintain than a tracked vehicle. Indeed, it shares many parts with commercial trucks, reducing the operating cost. It is armoured against small-arms fire and shell splinters, but is not intended to stand up to any anti-vehicle weaponry. The vehicle has a single machine gun for local air defence.

The Saxon's hull is welded steel with a V-shaped under-chassis plate to deflect mine detonations. Seating is provided in the rear for up to ten troops, although eight is a more comfortable load if all their equipment is included. There is an equipment stowage area on the hull roof.

Some Saxon IS, or Saxon Patrol, vehicles were acquired for service in Northern Ireland, serving as ambulances or troop carriers, which had extendible wings that could be used as protective shields during a riot. Compared to the standard model, these have various minor modifications intended for internal security operations, such as searchlights and wire cutters.

The first operational Saxons were deployed in Germany in 1983, to equip mechanised infantry battalions. The Saxon has now been withdrawn from service in HM Armed Forces, but 147 are kept in storage. The Saxon has been deployed to places such as Bahrain, Brunei, Bosnia, Malaysia, Oman, Iraq and Afghanistan.