Crew: 2 + 10 fully equipped troops
Armament: 2 x 7.62mm machine gun
Length: 5.23m
Width: 2.54m
Height: 2.46m
Combat Weight: 10,170kg
Engine: Rolls Royce B80 8-cylinder Petrol, 6.5ltr, 160hp at 3,750rpm
Max. speed: 72kph (road)
Fuel Capacity: 200ltr
The FV603 Alvis Saracen was designed in the late 1940's, with the first prototype completed in 1952. Production lasted until 1972 by when over 1,800 had been manufactured.
The Saracen saw service, like the Ferret, in the Malay conflict and famously in Northern Ireland. It was finally withdraw from service with the Bristish Army in 1993.
Like the Ferret it has an 'inverted' steering wheel to reduce the profile of the vehicle, and the same pre-select 5 speed gear system (although the gear stick is on the left rather than on the right as it is in the Ferret). It has permanent 6 wheel drive with 4 wheel steering. When being driven on the road the Saracen can suffer from 'wind up' on the wheel stations as there are no differentials to cope with varying corner radii. This can be relieved by bouncing the vehicle off the kerb every few miles!
Other users: Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Nigeria, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
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