- Yes
- No
Introduction
The GKN Simba was a 4×4 wheeled armoured personnel carrier developed in the early 1980s by the British firm GKN Sankey (later GKN Defence, eventually absorbed into Alvis and then BAE Systems). Developed as a private venture to complement the larger Saxon APC, the Simba was aimed squarely at the export market rather than British Army service. From the outset, it was designed as a versatile, modular platform capable of being locally manufactured in client nations, with options for different turret configurations and armament ranging from a .50cal command cupola to a 90 mm Cockerill cannon, or even anti-tank missile systems. Its monocoque welded steel hull provided protection against 7.62 mm small arms fire and shell fragments, and it was deliberately engineered for ease of assembly and operation in less developed and less industrialised regions.
The Simba’s automotive components, including a Perkins diesel engine coupled to a Clark automatic gearbox, were chosen for ease of use, reliability, and availability on the commercial market. The driver sat at the front left with the engine to the right, and the rear troop compartment could carry 8 -12 infantrymen, who were provided with firing ports and vision blocks. Variants were proposed to cover a wide range of battlefield roles, including command, ambulance, mortar carrier, internal security, and fire support. Despite GKN’s hopes for wider adoption, the Simba achieved export success only in the Philippines, which ordered 150 vehicles in the early 1990s.
The vehicle being discussed in this suggestion is a variant constructed by GKN in the late 1980s as part of the sales and marketing campaign for the platform; a turreted Simba featuring a Cockerill Mk III low pressure 90mm cannon. This is a distinctly different turret to the other 90mm variant of the Simba, the Simba FSV, despite sharing an armament. The turret featured in this suggestion is the AC 90 turret - the CVR(T) Scorpion turret modified to house the Cockerill 90mm Mk III, as seen on the Alvis Scorpion 90. This turret is unstabilised, optionally fitted with a laser rangefinder, and capable of firing HEAT, HESH, and HE.
The Simba 90 (AC 90) was demonstrated at various trade shows and defence exhibitions throughout the late 80s and early 90s, including ComDef 1989 in Washington. The Simba AC 90 did not see further interest and sales in itself, but it may well have contributed to the successful export of the Simba platform as a whole, and remains an interesting and unique armoured fighting vehicle.
Specifications
Images
Spoiler
The GKN Simba 90 FSV fitted with the Cockerill CM 90 Turret. Although the armament is the same, note the different smoke launchers, mantlet, and overall geometry of the turret.
The AC 90 turret as fitted to the Alvis Scorpion 90
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