Scimitar tank
| FV107 Scimitar | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Reconnaissance vehicle |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| Wars | Falklands War, Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq War, Afghanistan |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Alvis |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 7.8 tonnes |
| Length | 4.9 m |
| Width | 2.2 m |
| Height | 2.1 m |
| Crew | 3 |
|
|
|
| Armour | aluminium armour |
|
Main
armament |
30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon sabot, HE, and armor-piercing special effects (APSE) rounds |
|
Secondary
armament |
Coaxial 7.62 mm L37A1 MG |
| Engine | Cummins BTA 5.9 diesel 190 hp (142 kW) |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
|
Operational
range |
450 km |
| Speed | 50 mph (80.5 km/h) |
The FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (sometimes classed as a light tank) used by the British Army. It was manufactured by Alvis in Coventry. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion, but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps armoured regiments in the reconnaissance role. Each regiment originally had a close reconnaissance squadron of five troops, each containing eight FV107 Scimitars.
The FV107 Scimitar is one of the CVR(T) series of vehicles. It entered service in 1971.
Initially, the engine was the Jaguar J60 4.2-litre 6-cylinder petrol engine, the same as used by several Jaguar cars. This has now been replaced by a Cummins BTA 5.9 diesel engine in British Army Scimitars, under the CVR(T) Life Extension Program (LEP).
The Scimitar lifespan has once again (as of middle 2009) been extended to accommodate the shift in timeframe with the Future Rapid Effect System program which would have seen new armoured vehicles introduced to replace the ageing CVR(T) range of vehicles. With new modifications, air filtration units and gearbox upgrades (late 2009) as well as hull alterations (late 2009) and the creation of a CVR(T) Spartan & CVR(T) Scimitar hybrid the CVR(T) range (early 2010) is expected to continue well beyond 2017.
Following a risk mitigation programme, in December 2010 a contract was awarded for the development, testing and management of an upgraded Scimitar. This was undertaken by the Vehicles Military & Technical Services team, BAE Systems Telford, which co-ordinated the build of 50 vehicles at the nearby DSG (Defence Support Group), Donnington, to be completed in early 2012. The Scimitar Mark 2 combat vehicle is one of five enhanced CVR(T) types.
The Scimitar Mk II was:
The resulting vehicles have since been re-engined with a Cummins BTA 5.9 litre diesel engine and David Brown TN15E+ automatic gearbox. In addition to providing power for an air conditioning system the new more fuel-efficient engine extends operational range of the vehicle, while the re-designed internal layout allow better-protected fuel tanks to be repositioned for reduced vulnerability to blast and ballistic threats.
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Wikipedia