FV107 Scimitar

Infobox Weapon
name=FV107 Scimitar


caption=
origin=flagcountry|United Kingdom
type=Armoured reconnaissance vehicle
is_vehicle=yes
is_UK=yes
weight=7.8 tonnes
length=4.9 m
width=2.2 m
height=2.1 m
diameter=
crew=3
manufacturer=Alvis
service=
wars=Falklands War, Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo, 2nd Gulf War, Afghanistan
armour=appliqué armour
primary_armament=30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon
secondary_armament=Coaxial 7.62 mm L37A1 MG
engine=Cummins BTA 5.9 diesel
engine_power=190 hp (142 kW)
pw_ratio=
suspension=Torsion bar
vehicle_range= 450 km
speed=80 km/h (50mph)
guidance=
Ground Pressure= 14lbs Square inch

FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (sometimes classed as a light tank) used by the British Army. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm cannon. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps, Armoured Regiments in the Reconnaissance role. Each Regiment had a Close Reconnaissance Squadron of 5 Troops of 8 FV107 Scimitar.

Development

The FV107 Scimitar is one of the CVR(T) series of vehicles and 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 This has now been replaced by a Cummins BTA 5.9 diesel engine in British Army Scimitars, under the CVR(T) Life Extension Program (LEP).

As with the FV101 Scorpion, the Scimitar saw active service with the Blues and Royals in the Falklands War of 1982. It was also used by British forces on UN and NATO peacekeeping duties in the Former Yugoslavia, Iraq and in Afghanistan. [cite web |url=http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/MilitaryOperations/InPicturesHouseholdCavalryHoneTheirSkillsInHelmand.htm |title= Household Cavalry hone their skills in Helmand |accessdate=2008-07-01 |month= July | year= 2008 |publisher=UK MoD]

Additional specification

* Ground clearance: 0.35 m
* Main armament: 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon. (Fires at up to 90 rounds per minute)
* Ammunition types:
** High Explosive Incendiary (HEI)
** High Explosive (HE)
** Armour Piercing (AP)
** APSE (Armour Piercing Secondary Effects)
** Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot-Tracer (APDS-T)
* Additional defence: 2 x 4 barrel smoke launchers.
* Ammunition stores:
** 30 mm — 165 rounds
** 7.62 mm — 2,000 rounds (official but in practice as many 200 round boxes as can be stored).
** As with all UK Armoured vehicles, it is equipped with a forced air system, so the crew can lock down in a CBRN environment, for this reason they are equipped with a boiling vessel BV, to cook and make hot drinks, it also has a hole in the center of the commander's seat that can be used as a toilet.

Operators

*UK: 325 [cite web |url=http://www.european-defence.co.uk/uk_army06.html |title= UK Defence: British Army estimated operational armoured vehicle fleet |accessdate=2008-01-09 |month= January | year= 2008 |publisher=european-defence.co.uk] The Scimitar is used by the five formation reconnaissance regiments of the British Army. Each regiment has three squadrons each of 12 Scimitars, The Household Cavalry Regiment has an extra squadron to support 16 Air Assault Brigade.

It is also used by the Royal Air Force, in the Bomb Disposal rolefact|date=July 2008, giving protection to crews clearing unexploded ordnance. In this employment, the 30mm Rarden gun is used for "projectile attack" (shooting at unexploded bombs to destroy them).

*flagicon|Belgium Belgium: 141, [cite web |url=http://www.army.cz/mo/obrana_a_strategie/2-2003eng/ondrejka.pdf |title=Belgian armed forces: trends in development |accessdate=2008-01-09 |last=Ondrejka |first=Jan |coauthors=Stojar, Richard |date=8.3.2004 |publisher=Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic|format=PDF] withdrawn from active service in 2005. [cite web |url=http://www.mil.be/def/doc/viewdoc.asp?LAN=fr&FILE=&ID=568 |title=La Défense au rapport fr|accessdate=2008-01-09 |date=January 2006 |work=page 55 |publisher=Belgian Ministry of Defence]

ee also

*CVR(T) (combat vehicle reconnaissance - tracked) family of vehicles.

References

Further reading

*http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/current_equipment/the_infantry_armoured_fighting_vehicle.htm The Infantry - Armoured Fighting Vehicle] , British Army
*http://www.armyrecognition.com/europe/Angleterre/vehicules_legers/Scimitar/Scimitar_Angleterre_diaporama.htm ArmyRecognition Scimitar pictures]
* [http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/Quarters/7413/fv107scimitar.html FV107 Scimitar]