Alvis Saladin
| Alvis Saladin | |
|---|---|
 FV 601 Saladin in Yad la-Shiryon museum, Israel. |
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| Type | Armoured car |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Alvis |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 11.6 t |
| Length | 4.93 m |
| Width | 2.54 m |
| Height | 2.39 m |
| Crew | 3 |
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| Armour | up to 32 mm |
| Main armament |
76 mm gun |
| Secondary armament |
2 x machine gun |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce B80 Mk.6A, 8 cyl petrol 170 hp (127 kW) |
| Power/weight | 15.5 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | 6x6 wheel |
| Operational range |
400 km |
| Speed | 72 km/h |
The Saladin (FV601) is a six-wheeled armoured car built by Alvis, and fitted with a 76mm gun.
Used extensively by the British Army, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car that had been in service since World War II.
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[edit] History
The Saladin was the armoured car of Alvis' FV600 series, using similar suspension and drivetrain components to the Saracen armoured personnel carrier, Stalwart High Mobility Load Carrier and Salamander fire tender. It is named after the warrior Saladin, Alvis using names beginning with an "S" for the whole range of FV600 vehicles.
The Saladin was used by B sqn 16/5 Lancers during their defence of Nicosia airport in 1974 and subsequent armed recce operations under the banner of the UN.
Indonesian Army (TNI AD) use the Saladin for "KOSTRAD Cavalry Batallion", "KOSTRAD Recon Company" and Armoured Car Company.
The Australian Army mounted Saladin turrets on M113A1 APCs to produce the Fire Support Vehicle. This was later renamed as the Medium Reconnaissance Vehicle after the somewhat unreliable turret[citation needed] was replaced by the turret from the FV101 Scorpion Light Tank. Royal Australian Armoured Corps(RAAC) personnel referred to them as "Beasts". The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps used Saladins extensively during the early stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War and remained in reserve status till the end of the war in 2009. It forms the Tank Crew pin of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps.
Saladin armoured cars could be seen in the streets of the Honduran Capital Tegucigalpa in the 2009 coup against President Manuel Zelaya.[citation needed]
[edit] Surviving Vehicles
This is an incomplete list.
There is an Alvis Saladin at Sri Lanka Armoured Corps Training Centre, Anuradhapura - a gate guard.
Several Saladin Armoured Car parked at a tank garage at The Indonesian Army 4th Cavalry Battalion.
There is a Saladin Armoured Car in Bovington Tank Museum, Dorset, England.
There is a Saladin at the York depot of the Queen's Own Yeomanry, a Territorial Army regiment.
There is also a non-functioning Alvis Saladin displayed outside the Lebanese Army's Military Outpost in the mountain region of Baabda located between Hammana and Chbaniyeh.
An American college sports enthusiasts club in Knoxville, Tennessee, the "Big Orange Army" operates a Saladin painted orange as an advertising device.
[edit] Operators
Australia [1]
Germany (German Federal Police)
Honduras
Indonesia
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Maldives
Mauritania
Oman
Portugal
Sri Lanka [2]
Sudan
Tunisia
United Kingdom
Yemen
Qatar
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: FV 601 Saladin |
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