Saxon (vehicle)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Saxon | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 2 + 10 passengers |
| Length | 5.17 m |
| Width | 2.49 m |
| Height | 2.63 m |
| Weight | 10.6 tonnes |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | |
| Main armament | 7.62 mm MG |
| Secondary armament | none |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | Bedford 500 6-cyl diesel 164 hp |
| Suspension | Wheel 4x4 |
| Road speed | 96 km/h |
| Power/weight | |
| Range | 510 km |
The Saxon is an armoured personnel carrier used by the British Army and supplied in small numbers to various overseas organisations. It was developed by GKN Sankey, from earlier projects, AT 100 IS and AT104, and is due to be replaced by the Future Rapid Effect System.
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[edit] Design
The Saxon was intended to act as a cheap but efficient "battle-taxi" for units that would have to make long journeys from the UK to reinforce the BAOR. As a lightly armoured wheeled vehicle it would be much faster - especially on roads - and easier to maintain than a tracked vehicle. Indeed, it shares many parts with commercial trucks, reducing the operating cost.
It is armoured against small-arms fire and shell splinters, but is not intended to stand up to any anti-vehicle weaponry. The vehicle has a single machinegun for local air defence, and can carry up to ten men.
A number of Saxon IS, or Saxon Patrol, vehicles were acquired for service in Northern Ireland, serving both as troop carriers and used in riots with extendable wings to be used as protective shields as well as being used as ambulances. These have various minor modifications compared to the normal version, such as searchlights and wire cutters, intended for internal security operations.
[edit] Usage
The first operational vehicles were deployed in Germany in 1983, to equip mechanised infantry battalions. Currently, the Saxon is used by four mechanised infantry battalions in 3 (UK) Division.
In recent years it has seen use in deployments to the former Yugoslavia, where a "mine-proof lorry" has proven to be very useful.
[edit] Variants
Saxon can be fitted out as
- AT105A - Ambulance
- AT105E - Turret armed with one or two machine guns
- AT105MR - 81 mm mortar
- AT105C - Command vehicle
Also the Simba range of vehicles, and a variant with the French Milan ATGW turret.
[edit] Operators
Bahrain - 10
Brunei - 24
Hong Kong - six in the service of the Hong Kong Police Force
Kuwait[citation needed]
Malaysia - 40
Nigeria[citation needed]
Oman - 15
Serbia - Gendarmerie At least one is in use in Serbia having most likely been captured in Bosnia. Employed by the Gendarmerie, it has been fitted with rubber armor panels and a new weapon station mounting a 12.7mm Browning M2HB and smoke grenade dischargers.[citation needed]
United Kingdom - British Army - around 640 as of 2003.
[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 |
4 x 4
Cobra · BOV · AGF reconnaissance & combat vehicle · BTR-40 · Bushmaster · Casspir · Cougar H · Mamba · Mercedes-Benz G-Class · RG-12 · RG-31 Nyala · RG-32 Scout · Reva 4x4 APC · Mungo ESK · Saxon · VAB · VBL ·Vodnik · HMMWV · Dingo · Fennek · Panther · Land Rover Wolf · International MXT-MV · Cheetah MMPV
6 x 6
AVGP · Boxer MRAV · Duro 3 · BTR-152 · Buffalo H · Cougar HE · EE-11 Urutu · Fuchs · MTVR · Ratel · RG-33 · Shoet · Sisu XA-180 · VAB · Pinzgauer · WZ551
8 x 8
ASLAV · Boxer MRAV · BTR-4 · BTR-60 · BTR-70 · BTR-80 · BTR-90 · BTR-94 · LAV 25 · LAV III · LVS · Patria AMV · Piranha · Pandur II 8x8 · Luchs · Stryker · Terrex AV-81 · VBCI
[edit] References
- Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, Charles Heyman. Leo Cooper, 2003.
