Saxon (vehicle)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saxon

General characteristics
Crew	2 + 10 passengers
Length	5.17 m
Width	2.49 m
Height	2.63 m
Weight	10.6 tonnes
Armour and armament
Armour
Main armament	7.62 mm MG
Secondary armament	none
Mobility
Power plant	Bedford 500 6-cyl diesel 164 hp
Suspension	Wheel 4x4
Road speed	96 kph
Power/weight
Range	510 km

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 is due to be replaced by the Future Rapid Effect System.

1 Design
2 Usage
3 Variants
4 Operators
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Design

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 BAOR. As a lightly armoured wheeled vehicle it would be 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 machinegun for local air defence, and can carry up to ten men.

A number of Saxon IS, or Saxon Patrol, vehicles were acquired for service in Northern Ireland, serving both as troop carriers and as ambulances. These have various minor modifications compared to the normal version, such as searchlights and wire cutters, intended for internal security operations.

[edit] Usage

The first operational vehicles were deployed in Germany in 1983, to equip mechanised infantry battalions. Currently, the Saxon is used by four mechanised infantry battalions in 3 (UK) Division.

In recent years it has seen use in deployments to the former Yugoslavia, where a "mine-proof lorry" has proven to be very useful.

[edit] Variants

Saxon can be fitted out as

AT105A - Ambulance
AT105E - Turret armed with one or two machine guns
AT105MR - 81 mm mortar
AT105C - Command vehicle

Also the Simba range of vehicles, and a variant with the French Milan ATGW turret.

[edit] Operators

A Saxon AT105 in service of Hong Kong Police.

Bahrain - 10
Brunei - 24
Hong Kong - six in the service of the Hong Kong Police Force
Kuwait^{[citation needed]}
Malaysia - 40
Nigeria^{[citation needed]}
Oman - 15
Serbia - Gendarmerie At least one is in use in Serbia having most likely been captured in Bosnia. Employed by the Gendarmerie, it has been fitted with rubber armor panels and a new weapon station mounting a 12.7mm Browning M2HB and smoke grenade dischargers.^{[citation needed]}
United Kingdom - British Army - around 640 as of 2003.

[edit] See also

Modern (post WW2) UK armoured fighting vehicles
Wheeled vehicles
Ferret Scout Car \| Fox Reconnaissance Vehicle \| Saladin Armoured Car \| Saracen APC
FV1611 "Pig" \| Saxon \| Mastiff PPV
Armoured personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles
FV432 \| Warrior \| FV103 Spartan \| Stormer \| FV104 Samaritan \| FV105 Sultan
Light tanks and anti-tank vehicles
FV101 Scorpion \| FV107 Scimitar \| Sabre \| FV102 Striker \| FV438 Swingfire
Self-propelled artillery
FV433 Abbot \| AS-90
Main battle tanks
Centurion \| Conqueror \| Chieftain \| Challenger 1 \| Challenger 2
UK unarmoured or non-fighting vehicles