FV430 series
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FV432 in Iraq, 2003 |
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| FV430 | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 2 minimum |
| Length | 5.25 m |
| Width | 2.8 m |
| Height | 2.28 m |
| Weight | 15.3 t |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | 12.7 mm max |
| Main armament | 7.62 mm L7 GPMG |
| Secondary armament | smoke dischargers |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel 240 hp |
| Suspension | torsion-bar, 5 road wheel |
| Road speed | 52 km/h |
| Power/weight | 15.7 hp/tonne |
| Range | 580 km |
The FV430 series covers a number of armoured fighting vehicles of the British Army, all built on the same chassis. The most common of the series is the FV432 armoured personnel carrier.
Although the FV430 series has been in service for a long time and some of the designs had been replaced in whole or part by vehicles such as those of the CVR(T) range or the Warrior, many have been retained and are receiving upgrades in the engine and control gear.
The FV430 chassis is a conventional tracked design with the engine at the front and the driving position to the right. The hatch for the vehicle commander is directly behind the drivers and a pintle mount next to it can take a machine gun. There is a side-hinged door in the rear for loading and unloading, and in most models a large split-hatch round opening in the passenger compartment roof. In common with such an old design there are no firing ports for the troops carried - British Army doctrine has always been to dismount from vehicles to fight.
There is a wading screen as standard, and the vehicle has a water speed of about 6 km/h when converted for swimming.
FV430 vehicles, if armed, tend to have a pintle-mounted L7 GPMG, or a Bren gun. There are two three-barrel smoke dischargers at the front.
Contents |
[edit] Vehicles
British Army nomenclature
- FV431 Armoured load carrier - one prototype produced, Alvis Stalwart 6x6 vehicle selected instead for load carrier role.
- FV432 Armoured Personnel Carrier
- FV433 Field Artillery, Self-Propelled "Abbot" - 105 mm self propelled gun built by Vickers.
- FV434 "Carrier, Maintenance, Full Tracked" - REME Maintenance carrier with hydraulically driven crane.
- FV435 Wavell communications vehicle
- FV436 Command and control - some fitted with Green Archer radar, later Cymbeline radar.
- FV437 Pathfinder vehicle - based on FV432 with integral buoyancy and other waterjets - prototyped only.
- FV438 Swingfire - Guided missile launcher.
- FV439 Signals vehicle - Many variants.
- FV430 Mk3 Bulldog - Upgraded troop carrier that began serving in Iraq in December 2006.
[edit] FV430 Mk3 Bulldog
Introduced in December 2006 to meet an urgent requirement for extra armoured vehicles, the Bulldog features heavier armour, a new engine and steering gear, air conditioning and a gun station that can be controlled from inside the vehicle. Five hundred FV430s are expected to be modified in this way and will be deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside the new Mastiff PPV and Pinzgauer High Mobility All-Terrain Vehicle, relieving some of the pressure off of the Warrior fleet.[1]
The modifications, as well as bringing the vehicle's level of protection up to that of the Warrior, will give it better cross country performance and a new top speed of 45 mph (72 km/h).[2]
Modifications on the first 50 units were carried out in between January and October 2006 at the ABRO facility in Dorset by BAE Land Systems at a cost of £85 million.
Initial responses from soldiers in the field have so far been positive.
[edit] References
- ^ Bulldogs are on their way (Page 13/56 British Defense Logistic Organisation News]
- ^ British Bulldog in Basra - Strategy Page
[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 |
[edit] External links
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