FV107 Scimitar is an armoured reconnaissance vehicle (sometimes classed as a light tank) used by the British Army. It is very similar to the FV101 Scorpion but mounts a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm cannon. It was issued to Royal Armoured Corps, Armoured Regiments in the Reconnaissance role. Each Regiment had a Close Reconnaissance Squadron of 5 Troops of 8 FV107 Scimitar.

Development

Initially the engine was the Jaguar J60 4.2 litre 6 cylinder petrol engine the same as used by several Jaguar cars. This has now been replaced by a Cummins BTA 5.9 diesel engine in British Army Scimitars, under the CVR(T) Life Extension Program (LEP).

As with the FV101 Scorpion, the Scimitar saw active service with the Blues and Royals in the Falklands War of 1982. It was also used by British forces on UN and NATO peacekeeping duties in the Former Yugoslavia, Iraq and in Afghanistan.

Additional specification

• Ground clearance: 0.35 m
• Main armament: 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon. (Fires at up to 90 rounds per minute)
• Ammunition types:
• High Explosive Incendiary (HEI)
• High Explosive (HE)
• Armour Piercing (AP)
• APSE (Armour Piercing Secondary Effects)
• Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot-Tracer (APDS-T)
• Additional defence: 2 x 4 barrel smoke launchers.
• Ammunition stores:
• 30 mm — 165 rounds
• 7.62 mm — 2,000 rounds (official but in practice as many 200 round boxes as can be stored).
• As with all UK Armoured vehicles, it is equipped with a forced air system, so the crew can lock down in a CBRN environment, for this reason they are equipped with a boiling vessel BV, to cook and make hot drinks, it also has a hole in the center of the commander's seat that can be used as a toilet.

Operators

• : 325

The Scimitar is used by the five formation reconnaissance regiments of the British Army. Each regiment has three squadrons each of 12 Scimitars, The Household Cavalry Regiment has an extra squadron to support 16 Air Assault Brigade.

It is also used by the Royal Air Force, in the Bomb Disposal role, giving protection to crews clearing unexploded ordnance. In this employment, the 30mm Rarden gun is used for "projectile attack" (shooting at unexploded bombs to destroy them).

• Belgium: 141, withdrawn from active service in 2005.

See also

• CVR(T) (combat vehicle reconnaissance - tracked) family of vehicles.

References

Further reading

• http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/current_equipment/the_infantry_armoured_fighting_vehicle.htm The Infantry - Armoured Fighting Vehicle], British Army
• http://www.armyrecognition.com/europe/Angleterre/vehicules_legers/Scimitar/Scimitar_Angleterre_diaporama.htm ArmyRecognition Scimitar pictures]
• FV107 Scimitar