- Yes
- No
FV-101 Scorpion
History:
The FV101 Scorpion is a British light tank, it entered service with the British Army in 1973, serving until 1994. Over 3,000 were produced. The scorpion is considered one of the fastest tanks in the world since it can reach 80km/h and being light and small it is widely used for quick reconnaissance and to be transported by air. It achieved some fame when it was used in the Malvinas War in 1982 (Falklands War) that pitted the British against the Argentines, since it had a good performance; Being small and light, it could be transported from Europe to South America, something that would be extremely difficult with a larger and heavier tank, it also performed well in the difficult terrain of the Malvinas (Falklands).
FV-101 Scorpion in Chile
In 1990, the Marine Corps (CIM) of the Chilean Navy decided to restructure its forces and repower them, since there were some deficiencies. It was decided to incorporate a vehicle capable of serving in landing missions as well as new artillery material for coastal defense. Thus, in 1993, Chile decided to begin negotiations with the United Kingdom and thus concluded with the purchase of a battery of MBDA Exocet MM-38 land-launched anti-ship missiles and Alvis FV-101 Scorpion light reconnaissance tanks.
In this way, in 1995, the Chilean Marine Infantry created the Combat and Reconnaissance Vehicle Company where its main protagonist would be the new FV101 Scorpion that belonged to the British Army. In 2008, Spain sold 15 units of this vehicle to Chile at a symbolic price that were used by the Spanish Navy between 1986 and 2004, and before being delivered they were left in optimal conditions.
The new Scorpions differ from the originals in that they were modified and their original 4.2-litre Jaguar petrol engine was replaced with a new 200hp Perkins T6/3544 six-cylinder diesel engine which proved to have longer service life and a less risk of fire. They also had other quite important improvements, a laser rangefinder was incorporated to more accurately calculate the distance to the target, night vision scopes for low light missions and an electronic calculator . they were finally decommissioned in 2022 as they were replaced by the NZLAV 8x8 that now serve in the Marine Corps (CIM) of the Chilean Navy.
FV-101 Scorpion landing on Chilean beaches
Specifications:
- Crew:
- 3 (driver, gunner and commander)
- Armament:
- Primary: BAE Land Systems L23A1 76mm low-pressure gun
- Secondary: FN MAG L37A2 on top, 7.62 x 51mm L43A1 coaxial machine gun and two quadruple smoke launchers.
- Dimensions:
- Length: 4.7m
- Width: 2.2m
- Height: 2.1 m
- Weight: Combat weight 8 tons
- Maneuverability:
- Engine: Perkins T6/3544, six-cylinder diesel, 200 hp
- Max. speed: 80km/hr
- Power to weight ratio: 23.54 bhp/ton
- Transmission: semi-automatic with seven forward and seven reverse gears
- Autonomy: 900 kilometers
- Suspension: torsion bars
- Wading capacity: 1 meter
- Vertical obstacle: 0.5 meters
- Horizontal obstacle: 2 meters
- Slope: 45%
- Side slope: 31%
- Rolling: Tractor tracks with five rolling wheels on each side, rear idler wheel and front drive wheel
- Accessories:
- Laser rangefinder
- Night vision
- Electronic calculator
Photos:
