FV101 Scorpion
Sign in to saveAlso known as Alvis Scorpion, Scorpion Light Tank, Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked), CVR(T), Scorpion tank, CVR Scorpion
1970s light tank model by Alvis
Key facts
- Type
- Reconnaissance vehicle , Light tank
- Place of origin
- United Kingdom
- In service
- 1973–present
- Used by
- Operators
- Wars
- Iran–Iraq War , Falklands War , 1989 Philippine coup d'état attempt , Gulf War , Zamboanga City crisis , 2025 Cambodia–Thailand clashes
- Manufacturer
- Alvis Vehicles , Coventry , England
- Number span no built
- c. 3,000 (1,500 for UK, c. 1,500 exported)
- Variants
- Scorpion 90
- Mass
- 17,800 lb (8.074 tonnes)
- Length
- 4.79 m (15 ft 9 in) (hull), 5.288 m (17 ft 4.2 in) (inc 90 mm gun)
- Width
- 2.134 m (7 ft 0 in)
- Height
- 2.102 m (6 ft 10.8 in)
- Armour
- Aluminium armour, Cast and 1318b plate, 13 mm (front and sides)
- Main armament
- ROF 76mm L23A1 gun, 90mm Cockerill Mk3 M-A1 gun (in Scorpion 90)
- Secondary armament
- Coaxial 7.62 mm L43A1 machine gun
- Engine
- Cummins BTA 5.9-litre (diesel) , 190 hp (140 kW)
- Power weight
- 22.92 hp (17.3 kW) / tonne
- Transmission
- Self Change Gears TN15X
via Wikipedia infobox
~18 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The FV101 Scorpion is a British armoured reconnaissance vehicle and light tank. It was the lead vehicle and the fire support type in the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked), CVR(T), family of seven armoured vehicles. Manufactured by Alvis, it was introduced into service with the British Army in 1973 and was withdrawn in 1994. More than 3,000 were produced and used as reconnaissance vehicles or light tanks.
It held the Guinness world record for the fastest production tank, recorded doing 82.23 km/h (51.10 mph) at the QinetiQ vehicle test track in Chertsey, Surrey, on 26 January 2002.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “FV101 Scorpion” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.