Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicle
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| FV 510 Warrior | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 3 (commander, gunner, driver) + 7 troops |
| Length | 6.3 m |
| Width | 3.03 m |
| Height | 2.8 m |
| Weight | 24 tonnes |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | Aluminium & applique ERA |
| Main armament | 30 mm L21A1 RARDEN cannon |
| Secondary armament | L94A1 coaxial 7.62 mm chain gun 7.62 mm machine gun |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | Perkins V-8 Condor 550 hp (410 kW) |
| Suspension | torsion bar |
| Road speed | 46mph (75km/h) |
| Power/weight | |
| Range | 410 miles (660 km) |
The FV510 Warrior tracked vehicle family, are a series of British armoured vehicles originally developed to replace the older FV430 series of armoured vehicles. The Warrior started life in the MCV-80 project that was first approached in the 1970s, GKN Sankey won the production contract in 1980. GKN Sankey is now a part of BAE Systems Land and Armaments.
[edit] Description
The Warrior incorporates several design features in keeping with UK battlefield experience.
Passenger access is through a small hydraulically powered door at the rear of the hull, rather than a drop down ramp as in the American M113 and M2 Bradley armoured personnel carriers (APCs). There are no firing ports in the hull, in line with British thinking that the role of the APC/MICV is to carry troops under protection to the objective and then give firepower support when they have disembarked. Another reason is that ability of the average soldier to fire accurately out of the ports of a moving IFV has been questioned.
Warrior Section Vehicles are able to carry and support 7 fully equipped soldiers together with supplies and weapons including a number of anti tank weapons for a 48 hour battlefield day in nuclear/biological/chemical conditions. The protection against small arms, missiles, rpgs and anti-tank mines was proven during the UN operations in Bosnia. Additional (applique) armour can be fitted.
Warrior is driven by a Perkins-Rolls-Royce V8 Condor engine through an automatic gearbox. It is capable of a road speed of 46mph (75km/h). The fully rotating turret carries a 7.62 mm calibre chain gun alongside the 30 mm cannon. Thales Optronics STAG thermal imaging sights are being added to upgrade the night fighting capability as part of the BGTI (Battle Group Thermal Imaging) program.
[edit] Combat history
- Operation Granby (Gulf War)
- United Nations duties in Bosnia with the UNPROFOR
- Operation Telic (2003 invasion of Iraq)
[edit] Operators
British Army — 789 received between 1987 and 1995.
Kuwati Land Forces — 254 Desert Warriors received.
[edit] Variants
[edit] FV510 Infantry Section Vehicle
Armament Fitted to the two-man turret is a L21A1 30 mm RARDEN cannon and L94A1 EX-34 7.62 mm Hughes Helicopter coaxial chain gun. The cannon is capable of destroying most modern APCs at a maximum range of 1,500 m.
Protection The vehicle is NBC proof, fitted with passive (upgraded to active in most vehicles) night vision and defensive grenade launchers (usually used with Visual and Infrared Screening Smoke - VIRSS).
[edit] MILAN Anti-Tank Guided Weapon Carrier
[edit] FV511 Infantry Command Vehicle
[edit] FV512 Mechanised Combat Repair Vehicle
- operated by REME
[edit] FV513 Mechanised Recovery Vehicle (Repair)
- operated by REME
[edit] FV 514 Mechanised Artillery Observation Vehicle
- operated by Royal Artillery
- fitted with mast-mounted Man-packable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar (MSTAR) and Position and Azimuth Determining System (PADS)
- with II (Image Intensifying)and IR (Infra Red)
- 7.62 mm foot operated chain gun
- The 30mm Rarden cannon in this variant is a dummy
- This is to fit in the targeting and surveillance equipment whilst keeping the same visual profile as a standard Warrior
- 4 antennae distinguish it from the standard Warrior.
[edit] FV 515 Battery Command Vehicle
- operated by Royal Artillery
[edit] Reconnaissance Vehicle
Additional armoured protection against conventional and chemical attack. Armour shielding covers the front, sides and the suspension of the vehicle. The Warrior Reconnaissance vehicle is normally operated by a crew of three, the driver, commander and the gunner and can carry a reconnaissance officer and additional surveillance equipment.
[edit] Desert Warrior
Warrior vehicles adapted for operations in hostile desert conditions.
The Desert Warrior is also fitted with the same turret used by the LAV-25 wheeled IFV.
In 1993, Kuwait purchased 254 Desert Warrior vehicles fitted with Delco turrets, stabilised M242 25 mm chain gun with coaxial 7.62 mm chain gun and 2 x Hughes TOW ATGM launchers (one mounted on each side).
[edit] Warrior 2000
A new version developed for the Swiss Army. Did not enter production.
- All-welded aluminium hull
- Increased armour
- Digital fire control system
- More powerful engine
- Delco or Land Systems Hagglunds E30 turret with ATK Bushmaster II Mk 44 30 mm cannon.
[edit] Warrior Upgrade programme
As part of the Warrior Mid-Life Improvement Programme (2006-2012), the British Army is upgrading its Warriors to extend their service life to 2025. The upgrade includes
- Addition of a night fighting capability
- Bowman Communications System
- New turret with a 30 mm or 40 mm cannon
- Digital Fire control System
- Improved power pack
A turret demonstrator has been developed by CTA International, a joint venture formed by BAE Systems and Giat Industries. A contract was awarded in June 2004 for the delivery of one Warrior vehicle fitted with the turret by December 2006, for the British Army's Manned Turret Integration Programme (MTIP). Although the MoD has part funded this work the Department will be embarking on a full competition to select the most suitable turret system. 350 vehicles are to be fitted with BGTI by 2007. 70 have been completed.
[edit] Trivia
- The vehicle's name provided the inspiration for a 1999 BBC TV movie about the war in Bosnia, Warriors.
[edit] See also
- French AMX-10P
- French VAB (armoured personnel carrier)
- German Schützenpanzer Marder
- German Schützenpanzer Puma
- Soviet BMP-3 IFV
- Spanish Pizarro IFV
- Swedish CV90 IFV
- US M113 APC
- US M2 Bradley IFV
[edit] Further Reading
- Howard, Les. Winter Warriors - Across Bosnia with the PBI 1995/1996. The Book Guild, 2006, ISBN: 1 –84624-077-8
[edit] External links
- Army Technology
- The British Army
- Army Recognition in French
- Military History Encyclopedia on the Web
- Proceedings of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. The testimony by Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Watters gives a good illustrations of the peace-keeping operations in which Warrior vehicles were used.
- Warrior at Army-Guide.com
[edit] References
- Foss, Christopher & Sarson, Peter. Warrior Mechanised Combat Vehicle 1987 - 1994, Osprey UK, 1994, London, New Vanguard Series No. 10.
| 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 |
