- Yes
- No
Hello, welcome to the suggestion for the Desert Warrior! This is an export variant of the Warrior IFV with a different turret that would make it an attractive upgrade over the basic Warrior both in War Thunder and real life. The 30mm RARDEN cannon has been removed and replaced with a fully stabilized 25mm M242 cannon, and instead of a pintle-mounted MILAN missile, two single-tube TOW launchers are placed on either side of the turret, with spare missiles able to be stowed in the hull. Currently, this version is only in service with Kuwait, but considering the origins of the chassis and the UK selling it to Kuwait, I think the UK would be a fair tree to place it in.
History
Spoiler
A Warrior IFV moves along a road during Exercise Reforger '85.
As the Warrior entered service in the late 1980s, the British company GKN Defence began working on an export variant of its new IFV to offer to customers in one of the more lucrative markets for military exports, the Middle East. Instead of simply offering the British Army’s Warrior variant, a specialized version for desert warfare was designed, using the Delco Defense Systems Operations LAV-25 TOW turret. This version of the Warrior was arguably superior to its British counterpart, offering a fully stabilized 25mm M242 cannon, two ready-to-fire TOW missiles, and thermal imaging. Not only did the M242 have a faster fire rate than the 30mm RARDEN, but was also fed by a dual feed belt instead of clips. When the TOWs are not in active use, the launches are lowered flush with the side of the turret, and are raised to an elevated position by the gunner.
A scale model of the Desert Warrior.
To operate in a desert environment, the Desert Warrior went through about 27 changes compared to the British variant, notably including a combined air-conditioning and NBC filtration unit, as well as changes to the hull front and rear to keep dust plumes as low as possible, even at higher speeds. The vehicle is also designed to keep its crew able to fight and survive for 48 hours without leaving the vehicle, capable of carrying enough combat supplies, as well as 7 infantry dismounts, who leave through the rear doors.
A Desert Warrior in service with Kuwait, late 1990s.
In the very early 1990s, one nation in particular expressed its interest in GKN’s modified Desert Warrior, Kuwait. Following extensive trials against the FMC Corporation M2 Bradley, the Kuwaiti Land Forces ultimately chose the Desert Warrior in late 1992. An order of 250 Desert Warriors was confirmed by GKN Defence in 1993 in a 500 million Euro deal, with the first vehicles entering service in 1995. They are still in service with the Kuwaiti Land Forces as of 2023, over 200 are still in active use.
A Desert Warrior from the 9th Battalion, 35th Brigade, Kuwaiti Land Forces crosses a bridge during a security cooperation exercise, February 19th, 2014.
Specifications
Spoiler
Crew: 3
Weight: 25t
Length: 6.34 m
Width: 3.03 m
Height: 2.7 m
Main armament: 25mm M242 (210 rounds ready to fire) & 2× TOW missiles ready-to-fire
Main armament elevation: -8° / +60°
Secondary armament: 7.62mm M240 machine gun
Engine: Perkins CV-8 Diesel engine, 550 hp
Maximum speed: 75 km/h on-road, 50 km/h off-road
Maximum range: 660 km
Sources
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- Foss, Christopher F., and Peter Sarson. Warrior Mechanised Combat Vehicle, 1987-1994. Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1997.
- Desert Warrior | Weaponsystems.net
- Desert Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle | MilitaryToday.com
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHHHZNjTQOE
Pictures
