Specifications
Crew | 2+10 |
Length | 16' - 4" |
Height | 8' - 0" (w/turrent) |
Width | 8' - 3" |
Weight (empty) | 19,180 lbs or 9.59 tons |
Top Speed | 45 mpg |
Electrical System | 24 volt |
Tires | 12. x 20 Run Flats |
Smoke Launchers | 2 sets of 3 smoke grenade dischargers at front fenders |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Armament: | 1x7.62 mm MG (turret) 1x 7.62 mm MG |
Ammunition | 3,000 x7.62 mm |
Side slope | 30% |
Armor Type | 16mm Thick Steel |
Power to weight ratio | 15.73 hp/ton |
Fuel Capacity | 200 liters |
Engine | Rolls Royce B80 inline 8 cylinder /gas |
Ground Clearance | 0.432 meters |
History
Shortly after WWII the British began to develop the FV600 series of 6X6 armored vehicles. The initial vehicles were the Saladin armored car, an armored command vehicle, and the Saracen Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). Alvis Ltd completed the first prototype in 1952 and the first production vehicle at the end of the same year. The Saracen was the standard APC in the British Army until it began being replaced by the FV432 in 1963.
British Armoured Personnel Carrier The Saracen would have to be considered as a medium size wheeled vehicle. It has excellent cross country performance but on the down side the extra axle increases the amount of maintenance. Several Saracens are used by law enforcement agencies across the US.
The Alvis Saracen is a six-wheeled armored vehicle which provided units with the ability to move personnel (such as assault troops) within an armored vehicle and signaled a change in role towards transporting personnel around the battlefield. It weighed nearly 10 tons and could reach a top speed of 70 km/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.
The Saracen series also includes:
- FV 604 Armored Command Vehicle (ACV): with extra radio equipment and distinctive "penthouse" roof extensions to support.
- FV 610 Armored Command Post (ACP): higher sides to the armored rear compartment allowed radios to be racked above the map tables. There were also fittings for canvas awnings to the rear and sides. A small generator was also carried on a front wing.
- FV 606 / FV 611 Armored Ambulance.