Alvis FV107 Scimitar

History of the Alvis FV107 Scimitar

The Alvis FV107 Scimitar is a lightly armoured reconnaissance platform primarily used by the British Army. The vehicle is part of the CVR(T) (Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)) family built by Alvis for the British military and is specifically designed to replace the ageing family of Saladin armoured reconnaissance vehicles that have been around in time.

The Alves light vehicle family includes fast, maneuverable and relatively small developments, performing a variety of specialized battlefield roles including reconnaissance, armored personnel carrier, command vehicle, battlefield ambulance, anti-tank guided missile transporter and recovery. All designs branch off from the base design to allow for greater commonality of parts between different characters. Of the roughly 3,500 family cars that were eventually produced, more than 600 were of the Machete variety. The first Alvis CVR(T) pilot vehicle was completed in 1969, then tested and officially entered service with the British Army. The first series production model was delivered in 1971.

The Scimitar is used for light observation and reconnaissance missions, but can also attack "light" mass targets when necessary, referred to in some sources as a "light tank".

Externally, the Scimitar conveys a shape indistinguishable from its sister, the FV101 Scorpion. However, the Scimitar is armed with a long-barreled 30mm cannon instead of its short-barreled 76mm main gun.

The 30mm gun is capable of defeating light armor and is ideal for attacking soft-skinned vehicles or buildings. It was piloted by a crew of three, consisting of a driver, commander and gunner. The driver is located in the fuselage, while the commander and gunner are seated in the two-man turret (commander on the left, gunner on the right). The machete is protected by aluminum-based armor.

She said it weighed just over 8 tons. It is 4.9 meters long, 2.2 meters wide and 2.1 meters high. The bow is rounded and the front wings are almost flat. The driver maintained a hatch in the upper left of the hull, the engine was mounted to his right.

The location of the engine is marked by the ventilation grille on the right side of the top of the fuselage, and the exhaust pipes are clearly visible along the right side of the tank. The top of the fuselage is flat and the rear wall is perpendicular to the ground. The turret is mounted aft of the center of the vehicle and can carry usable weapons.

The turret sides are sloped to help with ballistic protection against small arms and grenades. The option of external storage boxes is an extensive accessory for Scimitar. Passive night vision support is standard, as is NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) protection. In the latter mode, the Scimitar can be fully "buckled", including basic amenities such as the air system, water heating elements and toilet seat located under the commander's seat.

Thermal sights and laser rangefinders are optional.

Other operators have deployed 175 and 141 prototypes for the Jordanian and Belgian armies, respectively. In 2006, Jordan received more than 100 machetes in a deal that brought the Briton $20 million. The Belgian army has been phasing out their machetes since 2005.

Nigeria can operate up to five examples, while Honduras may receive up to three machetes.

The machete was first used by the British Army in combat missions during the 1982 Falklands War. The Argentine dictatorship believed it was in British interests to invade the island chain and forced British troops to intervene. The war also marked the first combat appearance of the Harrier jet. During the conflict, the Scimitar played an important role in providing intelligence for day and night operations, and its 30mm guns worked well against Argentine targets.

The Scimitar's track characteristics and durable suspension also perform well in the island's wet, muddy terrain. The Scimitar took part in the Night Battle of Wireless Ridge on 13-14 June, a British victory.

Other military operations involving Scimitar stemmed from its involvement in the Bosnia-Kosovo war during a NATO peacekeeping mission. The machete was most recently used in the ongoing U.S. invasion of Iraq and throughout Afghanistan in 2003.

In later operations, the Scimitar was criticized by some British officers for its 40-year existence, leading to increasing problems in the field, such as unreliable engines and jammed main guns. The FRES Scout program to replace the Scimitar is underway, with an expected start date of operations no earlier than sometime in 2015.

The programme is at risk of being cut or stopped altogether due to budget constraints in the UK Ministry of Defence, which predicts Scimitar's future to be cloudy at best.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

165x30mm ammo.

2,000 x 7.62mm ammo.

8 x Smoke Grenade.

Changes