FV434 Knowpia

FV434, Armoured Repair Vehicle
FV434, Armoured Repair Vehicle
	FV434 on display
Type	Armoured Repair/Recovery Vehicle
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Production history
Manufacturer	GKN Sankey
Specifications
Mass	17.5 tons (17.5 t)
Length	5.88 m (19 ft 3 in)
Width	2.8 m
Height	2.77 m
Crew	4 troops
Armour	12.7 mm max
Main; armament	7.62 mm L7 GPMG
Secondary; armament	none, defensive smoke dischargers
Engine	Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel; 240 hp
Power/weight	15.7 hp/tonne
Suspension	torsion-bar, 5 units each side
Operational; range	483 km
Maximum speed	29 mph (47 km/h)

The FV434 is the Armoured Repair Vehicle variant of the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Introduced in the 1960s primarily as a means of quickly changing Chieftain MBT power packs in the field, it is operated by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). It is still used by the REME.

Description edit

Officially designated FV434 Carrier, Maintenance, Full Tracked, the FV434's primary role is to repair disabled and damaged vehicles, but it also has a limited recovery capability. It is fitted with a crane (capable of lifting up to 3 tons) to assist its work in repairing armoured and un-armoured vehicles. The FV434 is capable of changing other FV430 series power packs, however, it is unable to handle the power pack the British Army's Challenger 2 main battle tank - this is done by Challenger armoured recovery vehicle in forward areas and soft skin repair vehicles in base areas.

In addition to the crane, the FV434 is fitted with a fold-away work bench to the rear of the vehicle. Like its personnel carrier version, it is capable of amphibious operations with the aid of a flotation screen. Once in the water, it is propelled by its tracks at up to 5.6 km/h. It is crewed by four soldiers: commander, driver and two fitters.