Summary
The FV438 Swingfire was an armoured anti-tank vehicle of the British Army.
| FV438 Swingfire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Anti-tank missile carrier |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 16.2 t |
| Length | 5.1 m (16 ft 9 in) |
| Width | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) |
| Crew | 3 |
| Armor | 12.7 mm max |
Main armament | Two Swingfire launchers with 16 missiles |
Secondary armament | 7.62 mm L7 GPMG, smoke dischargers |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel 240 hp (180 kW) |
| Power/weight | 15.7 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion-bar, 5 road wheel |
Operational range | 300 mi (480 km) |
| Maximum speed | 32 mph (52 km/h) |
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 vehicle mounted Hensoldt 1x & 10x Military Periscope Monocular Guided Missile Sight, firing satiation and guidance system a remote separated "Barr & stroud" thermal imaging sight and control unit could be deployed and the missiles aimed and fired from up to 75 metres away and 15m above or below the vehicle, allowing the vehicle to remain camouflaged, completely hidden from the enemy in dead ground; the Swingfire missile was capable of making a ninety-degree turn immediately after firing into the controllers line of sight.
When FV438s entered service in the 1970s, they were operated by specialised anti-tank units of the British Infantry[citation needed] and Royal Armoured Corps. In 1977, the anti-tank role was transferred to the Royal Artillery, which formed the FV438s into four independent Royal Horse Artillery batteries, one for each Armoured Division in the British Army of the Rhine. In 1984, the Royal Artillery relinquished the anti-tank role and the FV438s were formed into guided-weapon troops (each of 9 vehicles), one for each Armoured Regiment.[1][2][3][4]
See also edit
- FV102 Striker, another Swingfire carrier, based on the CVR(T) chassis, with a fixed-azimuth five rail launcher hinged towards the rear of the hull roof.
References edit
- ^ "3rd Regiment RHA". The British Army. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ "3rd Regiment RHA". British Army Units and Locations from 1945 to present day. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ Nigel F. Evans. "ANTI-TANK ARTILLERY". BRITISH ARTILLERY IN WORLD WAR 2. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
- ^ Watson, Graham E.; Rinaldi, Richard A. (2005). The British Army in Germany: An Organizational History 1947-2004. Tiger Lily Publications LLC. p. 75. ISBN 0-9720296-9-9.