FV 603 Saracen
The Alvis Saracen was a British six-wheeled armoured vehicle, part of the FV600 series, developed after the Second World War. The Saracen entered production in 1952 and was phased out of service during the 1960s, though it remained in service in Northern Ireland until the 1980s. The Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier provided units with the ability to move personnel (such as Assault Troopers) within an armoured vehicle and signalled a change in role towards transporting personnel around the battlefield. It weighed 10 tons and could reach a top speed of 70km/h. It had a crew of two, could carry 10 personnel and was armed with a .30 cal machine gun. The Saracen carried a crew of two plus ten passengers protected by 16 mm thick armour and was armed with two 7.62 mm machine guns. A Rolls-Royce B80 Mk 6A eight-cylinder petrol engine provided a top speed of 72 kmh and a range of 400 km.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Country Of Origin: | UK |
| Designation: | Armored Personnel Carrier |
| Configuration: | 6 x 6 |
| Manufacturer: | Alvis Vehicles Limited, Coventry, West Midlands, UK |
| Crew: | 2 + 10 |
| Armament: | 1 x 7.62 mm MG (turret) |
| 1 x 7.62 mm MG | |
| 2 x 3 smoke grenade dischargers | |
| Ammunition: | 3,000 x 7.62 mm |
| Length: | 5.233 m |
| Width: | 2.539 m |
| Height (Turret Top): | 2.463 m |
| Height (Hull Top): | 2 m |
| Ground Clearance: | 0.432 m |
| Wheelbase: | 1.524 m + 1.524 m |
| Weight (Combat): | 10,170 kg |
| Weight (Empty): | 8,640 kg |
| Power To Weight Ratio: | 15.73 hp / tonne |
| Engine: | Rolls-Royce B80 Mk 6A 8-cylinder |
| petrol developing 160 hp at 3,750 rpm | |
| Maximum Road Speed: | 72 km / hr |
| Maximum Range: | 400 km |
| Fuel Capacity: | 200 lit |
| Fording: | 1.07 m |
| Fording with preparation: | 1.98 m |
| Vertical Obstacle: | 0.46 m |
| Trench: | 1.52 m |
| Gradient: | 42 % |
| Side Slope: | 30 % |
| Armor: | 16 mm (maximum) |
| Armor Type: | Steel |
| NBC System: | None |
| Night Vision: | None |
