FV102 Striker
Encyclopedia
The FV102 Striker was the anti-tank guided missile
carrier in the CVR(T) family and served in the British Army
.
wire guided anti-tank missile carrying member of the CVR(T) family. The FV102 Striker was externally very similar to the FV103 Spartan
but carried five missile
s in a ready-to-fire bin at the back of the vehicle. Five reload missiles were carried in the vehicle. The bin was elevated to 35º(622mils) for firing. The targeting sight could be demounted and operated at a distance from the vehicle which could remain in cover, even completely screened as the missile can turn up to 90 degrees after launch to come onto the target heading. The missiles were originally steered by joystick
control i.e. Manual Command to Line of Sight (MCLOS
), later updated to the Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight (SACLOS
) system where the controller merely sights the target. Secondary armament was a General Purpose Machine Gun
.
to fire the Swingfire missile. The first production vehicles were delivered in 1975 and used in British Army service by the Royal Artillery
Anti Tank Guided Missile Batteries. The vehicle initially was powered by the Jaguar
J60 4.2 litre 6 cylinder petrol engine - the same as used by several Jaguar cars. This was then replaced by a Cummins BTA 5.9 diesel engine
as used in British Army Scimitars, under the CVR(T) Life Extension Program (LEP).
of the BAOR, but since then have been transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps
where they served in formation reconnaissance regiment
s. The FV102 Striker was witdrawn from British Army service as the Swingfire missile was replaced by the Javelin missile in mid-2005.
Anti-tank guided missile
An anti-tank missile , anti-tank guided missile , anti-tank guided weapon or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily-armored military vehicles....
carrier in the CVR(T) family and served in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
.
Overview
FV102 Striker was the SwingfireSwingfire
Swingfire was a British wire-guided anti-tank missile developed in the 1960s and produced from 1966 until 1993.-Development:Swingfire was developed by Fairey Engineering Ltd and the British Aircraft Corporation. It replaced the Vickers Vigilant missile in British service...
wire guided anti-tank missile carrying member of the CVR(T) family. The FV102 Striker was externally very similar to the FV103 Spartan
FV103 Spartan
FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier of the British Army. It was developed as the APC variant of the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family. The vehicle can carry up to 7 personnel, including 3 crew members. Armed with a single machine gun, it is almost indistinguishable from the...
but carried five missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s in a ready-to-fire bin at the back of the vehicle. Five reload missiles were carried in the vehicle. The bin was elevated to 35º(622mils) for firing. The targeting sight could be demounted and operated at a distance from the vehicle which could remain in cover, even completely screened as the missile can turn up to 90 degrees after launch to come onto the target heading. The missiles were originally steered by joystick
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
control i.e. Manual Command to Line of Sight (MCLOS
MCLOS
MCLOS is a first-generation method for guiding guided missiles.With an MCLOS missile, the operator must track the missile and the target simultaneously and guide the missile to the target. Typically the missile is steered with a joystick, and its path is observed through a periscope-type...
), later updated to the Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight (SACLOS
SACLOS
SACLOS is an acronym for Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight, a second-generation method of missile guidance. In SACLOS, the operator has to continually point a sighting device at the target while the missile is in flight...
) system where the controller merely sights the target. Secondary armament was a General Purpose Machine Gun
General purpose machine gun
A general-purpose machine gun is a multi-purpose weapon: it is a machine gun firing a full-power rifle cartridge and which can be used in a variety of roles, from a bipod- or tripod-mounted infantry support weapon to a helicopter door gun or a vehicle-mounted support weapon...
.
Development
The Striker was developed for the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
to fire the Swingfire missile. The first production vehicles were delivered in 1975 and used in British Army service by the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
Anti Tank Guided Missile Batteries. The vehicle initially was powered by the Jaguar
Jaguar (car)
Jaguar Cars Ltd, known simply as Jaguar , is a British luxury car manufacturer, headquartered in Whitley, Coventry, England. It is part of the Jaguar Land Rover business, a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors....
J60 4.2 litre 6 cylinder petrol engine - the same as used by several Jaguar cars. This was then replaced by a Cummins BTA 5.9 diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
as used in British Army Scimitars, under the CVR(T) Life Extension Program (LEP).
Service history
Striker entered service in 1976 with the Royal ArtilleryRoyal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
of the BAOR, but since then have been transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps
Royal Armoured Corps
The Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
where they served in formation reconnaissance regiment
Formation reconnaissance regiment
The Formation Reconnaissance Regiment is one of two organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army. Until recently, it was known as the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment....
s. The FV102 Striker was witdrawn from British Army service as the Swingfire missile was replaced by the Javelin missile in mid-2005.
Additional specification
- Ground clearance: 0.35 m
- Ammunition carried: 10 Swingfire missiles, 7.62 mm NATO x 3,000 rounds.
- Chassis manufactured by AlvisAlvis plcAlvis Ltd. was created when United Scientific Holdings plc acquired the Alvis division of the nationalised vehicle manufacturer British Leyland in 1981. United Scientific maintained its own name until 1992 when the group was renamed Alvis plc. Alvis acquired Swedish armoured vehicle manufacturer...
Vehicles Limited, Telford, Shropshire, West Midlands, England, UK