Alvis FV103 Spartan

Alves FV103 History of Sparta

The FV103 Spartan originates from the British Army's Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR-T) programme in the 1970s, serving the role of armoured personnel carrier (APC) in the lineup. Originating from design and testing, the system was officially adopted by the British Army in 1978, with hundreds procured over time. Armed forces from Belgium, Botswana, Iraq, Jordan and Oman subsequently made foreign deployments.

Due to its design pedigree, the Spartan has a high degree of parts commonality with its sister vehicles in the CVR-T range. The vehicles are from the brand label Alvis (now BAe Systems Land Systems) in Telford, UK.

The Spartan was a 9-ton vehicle with a barrel 17 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 8.5 feet high. Its low profile and compact size make it an agile and small target on the battlefield.

As an infantry carrier, the vehicle is armed with only one 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) for self-defense and suppression of enemy infantry. Eight smoke grenade launchers (two sets of four) are located on the sides of the vehicle to protect the vehicle. Power is provided by petrol or diesel powered battery packs, although the latter is fitted on newer vehicles. Top road speed reaches 60 mph and operating range is up to 320 miles.

The Spartans retained their amphibious qualities, relying on flotation screens deployed (by the crew) and propelled through the water by their own crawler motion. The landing gear consisted of a "track wheel" arrangement with five rubber tire wheels on one side of the fuselage, a drive sprocket at the front and a track idler at the rear.

No track return rollers.

A standard Spartan fighter consists of three, but two are used when arrangements are made to carry more infantry. Four passengers can be accompanied by three standard crew members. The driver sits forward on the left, with the power pack directly to the right, then opens most of the hull for crew, supplies and storage. A cupola is located behind the driver's position for the commander, where machine gun weapons can be installed. NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) system and night vision goggles available.

The FV103 is the standard carrier variant and is also used as a missile carrier for the FV102 "Forward" anti-tank vehicle. The Spartan was also developed into its own anti-tank form, the FV120 Spartan MCT (featuring a "Milan compact turret" with a crew of two), which changed the interior somewhat.

The Spartans served during the Iraq War and the Bosnian conflict in the 1990s. In the British Army inventory, this type was gradually replaced by the cheaper Iveco "Panther" 4x4 wheeled infantry motor vehicle (IMV).

However, Spartan still serves some of the aforementioned operators, including Iraq, which has about 100 vehicles.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

3,000 x 7.62mm ammo.

8 x Smoke Grenade.

Changes