FV438 Swingfire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| FV438 Swingfire | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Anti-tank vehicle |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 16.2 t |
| Length | 5.1 m |
| Width | 3 m |
| Height | 2.7 m |
| Crew | 3 |
|
|
|
| Armor | 12.7 mm max |
| Primary armament |
Two Swingfire ATGM launchers |
| Secondary armament |
7.62 mm L7 GPMG, smoke dischargers |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel 240 hp |
| Power/weight | 15.7 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion-bar, 5 road wheel |
| Operational range |
480 km |
| Speed | 52 km/h |
The FV438 Swingfire was an armoured anti-tank vehicle of the British Army.
It was derived from the FV430 series of vehicles by converting the FV432 to accommodate a launcher for Swingfire anti-tank guided missiles.
It had two firing bins and could carry fourteen missiles, which could be reloaded from inside the vehicle. Instead of using the mounted guidance system a control unit could be deployed and the missiles aimed and fired from up to fifty metres away, allowing the vehicle to remain completely hidden from the enemy; the Swingfire missile was capable of making a ninety-degree turn immediately after firing.
When it first came into use in the 1970s, the FV438s were operated by specialised anti-tank units of the Royal Artillery. The role was transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps in the mid 1980s, and the FV438s were taken into service as guided-weapon troops of armoured regiments, nine vehicles to a regiment.
|
||||||||||||||||||||
 |
This United Kingdom military article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
