| FV101 Scorpion | |
|---|---|
 Scorpion Reconnaisance Vehicle |
|
| Type | Reconnaissance vehicle |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1973-1994 |
| Used by | Users |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Alvis Cars |
| Variants | Tosan |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 8.073 tonnes |
| Length | 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in) |
| Width | 2.235 m (7 ft 4.0 in) |
| Height | 2.102 m (6 ft 10.8 in) |
| Crew | 3 |
|
|
|
| Armour | 12.7 mm |
| Primary armament |
76 mm gun L23A1 40 or 42 rounds |
| Secondary armament |
Coaxial 7.62 mm L43A1 machine gun 3,000 rounds |
| Engine | Cummins BTA 5.9 litre (diesel) 190 hp (140 kW) |
| Power/weight | 23.54 hp/tonne |
| Transmission | David Brown TN15D |
| Suspension | Torsion-bar |
| Operational range |
644 km (400 mi) |
| Speed | 80.5 km/h (50.0 mph) |
The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle, 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.[1] More than 3,000 were produced. It is also one of the fastest tanks in the world, along with pre-WWII BT series.[2]
Contents |
History
Intended to be a fast and air-transportable reconnaissance vehicle, the Scorpion is built from mainly aluminium armour and mounts an L23A1 76 mm gun firing high-explosive, HESH, smoke, APDS (Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot) and canister rounds up to 1600 yards. It can also be fitted with a quick firing 30mm cannon, which proves useful against lightly armored AFV's (Armoured Fighting Vehicles), and also a 90mm gun for a greater effect. 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 80 km/h. The Scorpion showed outstanding off road capabilities in the Falklands War. A floatation kit can be fitted to the Scorpion, making the vehicle amphibious. To locomote through the water, it spins its tracks. However, it can drive through water up to 3.5 feet deep without the floatation kit deployed.[3]
Two troops from B Sqn of the Blues and Royals each comprising two Scorpion and two of the similar Scimitar saw active service in the Falklands War of 1982, (along with one Samson armoured recovery vehicle) and provided the only armoured assets of the British landing force. With a 'footprint' much lighter than that of a main battle tank, it was one of the few vehicles capable of operating in the extremely boggy conditions of East Falkland, and did so very well, due to possessing a ground pressure of approximately four pounds per square inch (actually less than that of a walking infantryman). At least one Scimitar was seriously damaged by an Argentine landmine, but the crew were unscathed, and the vehicle was salvaged by Chinook HC.1 helicopter[4]and soon brought back into service by the attached REME section. Both tactical and strategic commanders have stated that a larger number of CVR(T) would have aided and shortened the campaign greatly, with possibly reduced casualties[citation needed]. Its cross country ability was demonstrated in a recorded incident where a commander jumped from his vehicle and sank into the boggy ground (wheeled vehicles being almost no use away from established roads).[citation needed]
The Scorpion has been withdrawn from British Army service and the refurbished hulls have been mated with surplus turrets from the FV 721 Fox CVR(W) wheeled reconnaissance vehicle to form a composite vehicle, to create the 30mm RARDEN cannon armed Sabre, which is very similar in appearance to the Scimitar. The chief reason for this was that the obsolescent 76mm gun was not found to be as effective or efficient in engaging enemy light armour/miscellaneous targets as the flat-trajectory 30mm cannon. Some small armies such as the Botswana Defense Force and the Irish Army, and notably the larger Philippine Army, continue to use Scorpion units, in some cases up-armed retroactively with 90mm Cockerill guns (see below). A small number are in use at BATUS in Canada as part of OPFOR representing 125mm gun armed T-80-type vehicles, with the main armament barrel replaced with plastic drainpipe, and known as "Salamanders".
Users
Belgium - Belgian Army - (701 Scorpions and variants, all withdrawn)
Botswana - Botswana Defence Force
Brunei - Royal Brunei Land Forces
Chile - Chilean Navy (Infantería de Marina - Chilean Marines)
Honduras - Honduras Army
India - Indian Army
Indonesia - Indonesian Army - 100 Scorpion 90
Iran - Iranian Army (ex. Imperial Iranian Army) 80 in service
Ireland - Irish Army (14 in service, one is being upgraded for trials)
Jordan - Royal Jordanian Land Force
Malaysia - Malaysian Army - 26 Scorpion 90
New Zealand - New Zealand Army
Nigeria - Military of Nigeria - 140 in service[5]
Oman - Royal Army of Oman
Philippines - Philippine Army - 42 Scorpions
Spain - Spanish Marines(all 17 transferred to Chile)
Thailand - Royal Thai Army- 154+
Venezuela - Army of Venezuela - (90 Scorpions 78 FV101-C.90 +6 FV104 +2 FV105 +4 FV106)- United Kingdom
Australia - Turret only - mounted on M113AS1 to form Medium Reconnaissance Vehicle (MRV)
Variants
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 Indonesian, Malaysian and Venezuelan armed forces.
Scorpion Turret used in Australian MRV
The Scorpion turret was also mounted on the M113AS1 (the Australian version of the M113), the resulting vehicle being known as the Medium Reconnaissance Vehicle (MRV). MRVs were issued to Royal Australian Armoured Corps reconnaissance regiments.
The MRV also featured the water heater/cooker from the Scorpion.
Like the Saladin turret Fire Support Vehicle (FSV) before it, the MRV was colloquially known as a "Beast" or "the Beast".
Related vehicles using the same (or similar) hull include:
- FV102 Striker anti-tank guided weapon carrier
- FV103 Spartan armoured personnel carrier
- FV104 Samaritan armoured ambulance
- FV105 Sultan command post vehicle
- FV106 Samson armoured recovery vehicle
- FV107 Scimitar armoured reconnaissance vehicle
- Sabre - Scorpion chassis retro-fitted with a turret from the Fox Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle
These vehicles are collectively known as the CVR(T) - Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) - family.
Production
- A total of approximately 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.
See also
- AVGP Canadian wheeled armoured vehicle using the Scorpion turret.
References
- ^ Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, July 4, 2006, columns 912W–913W
- ^ The World's Fastest Tank. (Digest) - FindArticles
- ^ "FV101 Scorpion". military-today.com. 2006 - 2009. http://www.military-today.com/tanks/fv101_scorpion.htm. Retrieved 14 December 2009.
- ^ Andrew Jones, British Armor in the Falklands, ARMOR, March 1983 pp 26-27
- ^ Nigerian Army Equipment.
- Jane's Armour & Artillery 1989-90, Jane's information Group, editor Christopher F. Foss
External links
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