Tankopedia
Late Cold WarLightLight TankUnited Kingdom

FV107 Scimitar

In service 1971 - 2020s

The Scorpion with a 30 mm RARDEN cannon instead of a 76 mm gun - British reconnaissance from the Cold War to Afghanistan.

Built byAlvis

FV107 Scimitar
FV107 Scimitar, Gunfire Museum Brasschaat — Paul Hermans, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Development history

Part of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) family, the Scimitar swapped the Scorpion low-velocity 76 mm gun for the long, accurate 30 mm RARDEN cannon, which could punch through the side of a Soviet BMP at over a kilometre. Its aluminium hull kept ground pressure lower than a soldier on foot, letting it cross ground no other armoured vehicle could. Around 340 were built and the type fought in the Gulf War, the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan, serving for close to fifty years.

Variants

One canonical record, 2 recorded variants.

  1. FV107 Scimitar

    1971

    Original version with Jaguar petrol engine.

  2. Scimitar Mk 2

    2010

    Cummins diesel engine and Spartan-based hull with improved mine protection.

Notable actions

  • Gulf War
  • Balkans
  • Iraq War
  • War in Afghanistan