FV101 Scorpion

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FV101 Scorpion
General characteristics
Crew 3
Length 4.9 m
Width 2.2 m
Height 2.1 m
Weight 8.07 tonnes
Armour and armament
Armour 12.7 mm
Main armament 76mm gun L23A1

40 rounds
Secondary armament 7.62mm coaxial machine gun L37A1

3,000 rounds
Mobility
Power plant diesel Cummins BTA 5.9
190 hp (142 kW)
Suspension torsion-bar
Road speed 80 km/h
Power/weight 24 hp/tonne
Range 644 km

The FV101 Scorpion is a British light tank, part of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) or, CVR(T) family. The full design name is Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) Fire Support (Scorpion). Manufactured by Alvis Vickers it was introduced into service with the British Army in 1973 and served until 1994. More than 3,000 were produced.

Contents

[edit] History

Intended to be a fast and air-transportable reconnaissance vehicle, the Scorpion is built from mainly aluminium armour and mounts a L23A1 76 mm gun firing HE, HESH, Smoke, and Canister rounds. Original models had a Jaguar 4.2 litre petrol engine. This engine was chosen because of its high power to weight ratio. Some customers specified diesel engines. The Perkins Diesel engine was chosen, which has shown longer in-service life, and has a reduced risk of fire. All models are capable of 80km/h.

The Scorpion and the similar Scimitar saw active service in the Falklands War of 1982, the only armoured vehicles of the British. With a 'footprint' lighter than that of a man, it was one of the few vehicles capable of operating in the extreme conditions of the Falklands land mass (wheeled vehicles had almost no use away from established roads).

The Scorpion has been withdrawn from service (the chief reason being that the 76mm gun had no fume extractor and could suffocate the crew if the vehicle was closed down for NBC protection). The hulls have been reused with the turrets from the FV 721 Fox wheeled reconnaissance vehicle to form a new vehicle, the Sabre, which is very similar in appearance to the Scimitar.

[edit] Users

[edit] Variants

The Scorpion/Scimitar in the US Army field recognition manual
The Scorpion/Scimitar in the US Army field recognition manual

Scorpion 90 - This export version is armed with the long-barreled Cockerill M.k3 M-A1 90mm gun, fitted with a prominent muzzle brake. It was purchased by the Malaysian and Venezuelan armed forces.

Related vehicles using the same (or similar) hull include:

These vehicles are collectively known as the CVR(T) - Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) - family.

[edit] Production

  • A total of approxiamately 4,000 vehicles of the CVR(T) family had been manufactured in the UK and Belgium by the time production ceased in the mid-1990's.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[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

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