FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Contains threads on British Army equipment of the past, present and future.
Lord Jim
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by Lord Jim »

Boxer is only 8x8. As for CV-90, I think ot would be good fit if the Army still wanted a tracked IFV, it has a much lower profile than say the Lynx, and in its latest configuration would meet all the Army's needs including its digital network integration.

However the Army's Equipment Plan is on a very tight budgets with more requirements than funds, and even the programmes funded have had to have their timeframe stretched to make them affordable. The current organisation for the Heavy BCTs is not a one designed to get the job done in a peer level conflict but more a case of cobbling together what we have. At least with the Ajax and Boxer we should finally be able to remove the sixty year old FV430 series form its organisation, reducing running costs and gaining a substantial digital capability boost. One small victory at least.

Dahedd
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by Dahedd »

Why not follow the US route & convert the binned Warriors. Aren't the yanks looking to do the sane with old Bradley's. Convert/rebuild them minus the turret to replace M113s. Or have they shelved that project ?

Or as I said above buy more Vikings. Always had a soft spot for them for some reason.

Lord Jim
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by Lord Jim »

No the US Army is bringing in a new vehicles built by BAe that uses the Bradley's base chassis including its running ear, power plant and dirve train but a more basic hull as a replacement for some of its M113s. Given the number of the latter still in service it will be a very long time until they are replaced especially in the National Guard units.

At one stage we intended to replace the FV430 series with the Warrior in various forms but due to cost issues this never happened. THe later programme to modify surplus Warriors to replace some of the remaining FV430s dies a slow death due I believe to lack of fund and higher priorities that were raised as a result of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now Boxer and Ajax will replace the FV430 series in Armoured and Mechanised Infantry units, whilst either Boxer or possibly the winner of the MRV(P) phase 2 programme will replace the FV430s in supporting units like Signals and Engineering. Alternatively an existing platform like the Mastiff could be upgraded and modified to carry out the role if funding again is not available at the level required for the purchase of new platforms.

Lord Jim
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by Lord Jim »

Good Tank Chat episode from the Tank Museum covering a brief history of the FV432 and its latest iteration the Mk3 "Bulldog". I now appears that the Army will keep them gong until at least 2030. I was also surprised that around 900 FV$£" were brought up to the Mk3 standard, with around 200 being further upgrades to a TES configuration for use in Iraq with additional armour, ECM, air con and on some a RWS.
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Tempest414
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by Tempest414 »

Yes a lot of good work done on the Mk-3 and a case of a project that delivered. I think the 200 or so that got the active armour should now all be given RWS's I also think the Mk-3 SP mortars should get active armour to close out there days

As I said it was interesting that the armoured battle group in Latvia had

30 Challenger 2's ( some fitted with RWS's )
60 Warriors ( some used by the Recce unit )
There seemed to be a good number of Bulldogs
There also seemed to be at least 1 Battery of AS-90

Lord Jim
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by Lord Jim »

The Mk3 upgrade should have been done years before it actually was, but now, like the M113 it needs replacing and luckily we have the Boxer waiting in the wings together with the phase 2 MRV(P).

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Tempest414
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by Tempest414 »

Giving the 200 or so with active armour RWS's with 12.7 mm , 30mm and 40mm GMG should be done these RWS's can be removed latter and fitted to MRV(P)-2 as they replace the Bulldogs at the end of the decade

sol
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by sol »

Personally I would like to see BvS10 as a replacement for FV430, but if someone prefer wheeled vehicle, Patria 6x6 might be a good choice

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Tempest414
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by Tempest414 »

As I have said a number of times I would like to see the UK 1st division rerolled into 6 or 8 Light Mechanised Battalion battle groups with three of them based around Viking and the other 3 to 5 based around Jackal , Foxhound and Bushmaster

I do like the Patria 6x6 but at 24+ tons it is tipping into Boxer type roles I know Boxer is 35 tons but I think the like of Bushmaster and Eagle V 6x6 at 15 tons is where the Light Mech should be

Lord Jim
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Re: FV430 Armoured Vehicles (British Army)

Post by Lord Jim »

Like the idea, but wouldn't it be better just to say the 1st Light BCT is primarily aimed at NATO's northern flank whilst the 2nd is a aimed at more temperate climate zone up to and including the gulf, very temperate I know :D

Both could be used in other theatres, for example the Viking would be good in jungle terrain, but the BCTs would concentrate on training for their main areas as determined by the MoD. It could even be possible to the BCTs to swap roles every six to eight years. Each BCT should be able to develop three to four Battlegroups depending on the size and composition of the Teams.

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