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Daimler Ferret

1952 COLD WAR MODERN

History

During the decades of the Cold War, the British used a variety of armored vehicles for reconnaissance, reconnaissance and security. One such product is the Daimler "Ferret" armored vehicle, a 3.7-ton vehicle with a crew of two armed with a minimum of one 7.62mm or .30 caliber machine gun.

It is powered by a 130 hp Rolls-Royce B60 I6 petrol engine. The vehicle has full suspension for off-road travel, and all four-wheel systems receive power. It has a range of 190 miles and a top speed of 58 mph. Ferrets are very popular in foreign markets and are widely adopted in about 30 countries.

Design work on the miniature car began in 1949. After the success of early Daimler armoured vehicles during World War II, the British Army again turned to the local group for its next product. Machine gun turrets became optional, and steel was used for most of the vehicle's structure.

The "run-flat" tires are kept in the extreme corners of the chassis for maximum balance when cornering and driving over rough terrain. The smoke grenade launcher allows the crew to generate their own smoke screen if necessary - the crew consists of two people, a driver and a commander.

The fighting compartment was an important part of the internal volume in the front and middle of the hull, and the engines were kept separate in a compartment in the stern. Viewports are assigned to all upper fuselage superstructure panels to improve the crew's situational awareness.

Its profile is deliberately low, and the vehicle is very powerful for future characters. It also has a compact size for easy transport - dimensions include 12 feet long, 6 feet wide and 6 feet high.

In addition to the original turretless ferret Mk I, there are many variants of the ferret. The Mk I/I had improved armor protection and amphibious qualities, while the Mk I/II had a fixed turret with a hinged roof door and added a third crew. The Mk II was fitted with an Alvis Saracen turret and was armed with a 0.30 caliber Browning machine gun, while the Mk II/I was a Mk I variant to Mk II standard.

The Mk II/II had a triple turret, the successor Mk II/III had improved armor protection. The Mk II/IV has decal armor plates welded for added protection, while the Mk II/V is the Mk I with decal armor. The Mk II/VI is an anti-tank guided missile carrier (ATGM), while the Mk II/VII is the Mk II/VI without rocket launchers.

The Mk III received better armor protection, reinforced suspension, larger wheels and a floating screen for amphibious operations. The Mk IV became a reconnaissance vehicle with a Saracen turret and had the Mk II/III markings in line with this new standard.

The Mk V is fitted with a Tornado Anti-Tank Missile (ATGM) and an L7 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).

Ferrets were produced from 1952 to 1971 with a total production of 4,409. In the British Army, these vehicles were eventually replaced by more modern solutions.

Smaller armies still have a fleet of ferret armored vehicles in their stables including Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sudan and Zambia, each with more than 30 vehicles. The previous operators were Australia, Canada, France, Iraq and South Africa.