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Spartan
KEY RECOGNITION FEATURES
• Similar to Stormer but has narrower hull, blunt nose with sloping glacis plate, driver's position or left side with ei jine right, horizontal hull top with vertical hull rear, larger door opening right. Hull sides vertical, chamfer between sides and roof
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• Cupola on hull top to rear of driver's position, 7.62mm MG on left side manned by vehicle commander, troop section commander has hatch to right which is flush with roof, two outward-opening roof hatches it ;ir
• Suspension each side has five road wheels, drive sprocket front, idler rear, no return rollers, no skirts
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SPECIFICATIONS
Crew: Armament:
Ammunition: Length hull: Width: Height overall: Ground clearance: Weight, combat: Power-to-weight ratio: Ground pressure: Engine:
Maximum road speed: Maximum road range: Fuel capacity: Fording:
Vertical obstacle: Trench: Gradient: Side slope: Armour: Armour type: NBC system: Night vision equipment:
3+4 1 x 7.62mm MG, 2 x 4 smoke grenade dischargers 3,000 x 7.62mm 5.125m 2.242m 2.26m 0.356m 8,172kg 23.25bhp/tonne 0.338kg/cm2 Jaguar J60 No 1 Mk 100B 4.2 litre 6-cylinder petrol developing 190hp at 4,750rpm (British Army Spartan vehicles are being upgraded with Jaguar petrol engine being replaced by a more fuel efficient Cummins diesel engine) 80.5km/hr 483m 386 lit 1.067m, amphibious with preparation 0.5m 2.057m 60% 35% Classified Aluminium Yes Yes (passive)
DEVELOPMENT
Alvis Spartan (FV103) is a member of Scorpion CVR(T) family and entered service with British Army in 1978 for specialised roles such as carrying Javelin SAM or Royal Engineer assault teams. It is not replacement for FV432 APC (qv).
Driver sits front left, engine compartment to right, vehicle commander/7. 62mm MG gunner to his rear and section commander, who dismounts with four infantry, right of vehicle commander. Troops in rear with two-part roof hatch opening left and right, no firing ports. Flotation screen can be fitted round top of hull which, when erected, makes Spartan fully amphibious, propelled by its tracks.
New production vehicles have a number of improvements including upgraded suspension and the option of the more fuel efficient Perkins diesel engine which has already been installed in some export Scorpions. By 1999 total production of the Spartan APC amounted to over 960 vehicles for both home and export market.
VARIANTS
The British Army did have some Spartans fitted with the twin turret but these have been phased out of service. Spartan can be adopted to take a wide range of other weapons including anti-tank guided missiles and various air defence weapons.
STATUS
Production as required. In service with Belgium, Oman, UK.
MANUFACTURER
Alvis Vehicles Limited, Telford, Shropshire, England, UK.
TRACKED APCs /WEAPONS CARRIERS
Above left: Alvis Spartan APC
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