The
AT-105 Saxon is the vehicle used by the mechanised infantry battalions of the
British Army. The Saxon was first introduced in 1983, manufactured by GKN Defence. Basically a wheeled
Armoured Personnel Carrier (it has been described as a battlefield
taxi), and more like a truck, the Saxon is a highly mobile vehicle on the
battlefield, capable of traversing rough terrain and fording three feet of water. In addition, it is armour-proofed against
mines,
shrapnel and large-
caliber (up to
7.62 mm) bullets. As the Saxon is based around truck parts, it is also much less high maintenance that tracked vehicles such as
AFVs. A 7.62 mm machine gun is also fitted to the
turret to provide a degree of
protection in addition to the
armour.
Four mechanised battalions attached to 3 Division (based in the UK) are equipped with the Saxon, and there are a total of around 550 in service. There are two variants, an infantry carrier and an ambulance, and each vehicle is estimated to have cost approximately £145, 000. Vehicles in Northern Ireland are also fitted with equipment such as extra armour, searchlights and a barricade removal device. Although the Saxon has been successful used by the army in places such as Bosnia and Northern Ireland, the more peaceful times in these theaters have left the Saxon more unused recently. As the nature of warfare changes, it is predicted that the Saxon will be unable to provide the speed and agility needed by infantry in the future. Therefore they are likely to be replaced at some point by some kind of "MARV", or Multi Role Armoured Vehicle.
Specs:
Length: 5.16 m
Width: 2.48m
Height: 2.63 m
Weight: 10, 670 kg
Ground clearance: 0.33 m
Max road speed: 96 kph
Road range: 510 km
Engine: Bedford 600 6-cylinder Diesel
Fuel capacity: 160 litres
Horsepower: 164 bhp
Crew: 2, plus maximum of 10 passengers
Main armament: 7.62 mm GPMG (General Purpose Machine Gun)
Other armaments: None
NBC Proof: No
Night Vision: None
Sources:
www.army.mod.uk
"The British Army: a Pocket Guide"