FV107 Scimitar | |
|---|---|
| Paese | Regno unito |
| Ruolo | Veicolo da ricognizione |
| Produttore | Alvis / BAE Systems Land & Armaments |
| Costruito | Oltre 500 |
Le FV107 Scimitarra è un veicolo corazzato da ricognizione (a volte classificato come carro armato leggero) utilizzato dall'esercito britannico. È stato prodotto da Alvis a Coventry. È molto simile all'FV101 Scorpion, ma monta un cannone L21 RARDEN da 30 mm ad alta velocità invece di un cannone da 76 mm. È stato rilasciato ai reggimenti corazzati del Royal Armoured Corps nel ruolo di ricognizione. Ogni reggimento aveva originariamente uno squadrone da ricognizione ravvicinato di cinque truppe, ciascuna contenente otto scimitarre FV107.
fonte: FV107 Scimitarra Wikipedia
| Scimitarra FV107 Camminare Intorno | |
|---|---|
| Fotografo | Vladimir Jakubov |
| Localizzazione | Museo del Reggimento Ontario |
| Foto | 83 |
Vedi anche:
The Swift, All-Terrain Armoured Reconnaissance Tracked Vehicle
Le FV107 Scimitarra is a British light armoured reconnaissance vehicle and a primary variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked)—or CVR(T)—family designed by Alvis Vehicles of Coventry. Operational with the British Army from 1971 through its formal retirement in 2023, the Scimitar was built to perform high-speed battlefield armed reconnaissance, screen friendly flanks, and probe enemy lines. Exceptional ground mobility, an ultra-low ground pressure hull, and a dual-feed 30 mm L21 RARDEN autocannon allowed the Scimitar to cross swampy, heavily rutted terrain inaccessible to main battle tanks. Over its five decades of service—spanning the Falklands War, the Gulf War, the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan—it proved to be one of the most versatile and dependable tracked combat vehicles in modern military history.
| Attribute | Technical Specification (FV107 Scimitar / CVR(T) Standard) |
|---|---|
| Ruolo | Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle / Light Scout Tank (CVR(T)) |
| Equipaggio | 3 (Comandante, Artigliere, Autista) |
| Primary Armament | 1 × 30 mm L21 RARDEN autocannon (165 rounds carried in 3-round clips) |
| Armamento secondario | 1 × 7.62 mm L37A1 (or L94A1 chain gun) coaxial machine gun (3,000 rounds carried) |
| Motopropulsore | Jaguar 4.2L 6-cylinder petrol (original, ~190 hp) | Cummins BTA 5.9L turbocharged diesel (LEP upgrade, 190 hp) |
| Maximum Road Speed | 80.5 km/h (50 mph) top speed | Exceptional power-to-weight ratio (~24 hp/tonne) |
| Combat Weight | ~7,800 kg (17,200 lbs / 7.8 tonnes) baseline | ~12,000 kg (12 tonnes) for Scimitar Mk 2 with add-on armour |
| Dimensions | Length: 4.9 m (16 ft 1 in) | Width: 2.24 m (7 ft 4 in) | Height: 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) |
| Hull Armor & Construction | E-type aluminum-zinc-magnesium alloy (Armour plate) with optional Plasan bar/slat composite add-on armor |
| Production Total | 3,000+ total CVR(T) family hulls built across British Alvis production lines and overseas export contracts |
Design Engineering: Aluminum Airframe Alloys, RARDEN Autocannons, and Low Ground Pressure
- Lightweight Aluminum Alloy Hull: The Scimitar’s structural hull was constructed entirely out of specially developed military-grade aluminum-zinc-magnesium alloy armor plate. This kept the baseline combat weight under 8 tonnes—enabling air transport inside C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft—while resisting medium-caliber shell splinters and heavy machine-gun fire.
- 30 mm L21 RARDEN Autocannon: Designed specifically for light armored vehicles, the long-recoil 30 mm RARDEN cannon fires high-velocity Armour-Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS) and High Explosive (HE) rounds. The gun is hand-fed using compact three-round clips, eliminating heavy external belt-feed mechanisms while preventing spent cartridge gases from entering the cramped combat turret.
- Ultra-Low Ground Pressure Footprint: Featuring lightweight aluminum road wheels and rubber-bushed tracks, the Scimitar exerted less ground pressure than an adult human footprint (approx. 5 lbs/sq in). This allowed the vehicle to float across soft boglands, snowfields, and deep mud that would instantly bog down heavy main battle tanks.
- Scimitar Mk 2 Modernization: Under the Life Extension Programme (LEP) developed for the Afghan theater, the **Scimitar Mk 2** variant introduced a redesigned hull structure built on a Spartan APC chassis. It integrated a fuel-efficient Cummins diesel engine, improved blast-protected seats, air conditioning, modern thermal night-fighting sights, and heavy composite bar/slat armor suites against RPG threats.
Operational History: Falklands Combat, Desert Storm Sweeps, and Afghanistan Patrols
- The Falklands War Victory (1982): Operating with the Blues and Royals, two Scimitars and two Scorpios provided crucial armored direct-fire support to Royal Marines and Paratroopers during battles for Mount Tumbledown and Wireless Ridge. Their low ground pressure allowed them to traverse saturated Falklands peat bogs that halted all other mechanical vehicles.
- Gulf War Armoured Sweeps (1991 – Operation Granby): Deployed alongside the 1st Armoured Division, Scimitar troops screened the advance of heavy Challenger 1 tanks across the open Iraqi desert. Their high speed, low silhouetted profile, and thermal sights allowed them to outmaneuver enemy reconnaissance forces and relay target data back to artillery batteries.
- Peacekeeping in the Balkans & Operation Telic (Iraq): Throughout UN and NATO peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo, as well as during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Scimitars served as primary convoy escorts, urban reconnaissance platforms, and route-clearance security vehicles.
- Retirement and International Legacy: After over 50 years of distinguished service as the British Army’s principal light armored scout, the FV107 Scimitar fleet was officially phased out in late 2023 in favor of the modern Ajax tracked armored vehicle program, leaving behind a legacy as one of the world’s most effective reconnaissance designs.
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Belle foto, ma odio essere molto schizzinoso, ma non è una Scimitarra. Questa versione mostrata è in realtà un Sabre, che è stato assemblato utilizzando lo scafo di uno Scorpion, che è stato messo fuori servizio a causa di un problema di tossicità dei fumi del cannone da 76 mm. Hanno poi aggiunto la torretta dell'autoblindo Fox CVR(W). Le principali differenze rispetto allo Scimitar erano una configurazione leggermente diversa del vano di stivaggio e l'installazione di un cannone a catena Hughes da 7,62 mm invece dell'L7 GPMG come mitragliatrice coassiale montata sulla torretta. Quando è stato introdotto il programma di dieselizzazione CVR(T), il Sabre, per qualche motivo, non è stato incluso. Rimasero con il motore Jaguar da 4,2 litri e furono principalmente vendute dal MOD. Spero che questo hel[ps