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 seven personnel, including three crew members. Armed with a single machine gun, it is almost indistinguishable from the FV102 Striker in external appearance. Rather than a general personnel carrier for infantry, the Spartan has been used for moving specialist teams, such as anti-aircraft missile teams. An anti-tank variant of the Spartan has been produced, named FV120 Spartan MCT; this is armed with MILAN anti-tank missiles. Nearly 500 Spartans have served with the British armed forces since entering service in 1978; they are now being replaced by newer vehicles.
Design and features
The FV103 Spartan was developed during the 1970s as the Armoured Personnel Carrier version of the British Army's Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance family of armoured fighting vehicles, designed by Alvis plc. The vehicle entered service with the British military in 1978. The Spartan is similar in appearance to the FV102 Striker, except for the missile launcher on the Striker. The Spartan was powered by a 4.2 xk jaguar petrol engine. The vehicle is in length and in width. With a ground clearance of, it has a height of. As the APC variant of the CVR family, the FV103 has been used by small specialized groups such as mortar fire controller teams, anti aircraft teams and also reconnaissance teams. The vehicle can carry seven personnel, in a combination of three crew members and four passengers or two crew members and five passengers. It is armed with one 7.62 mm L37A1 machine gun, and can have four smoke dischargers on each side. In addition to the APC role, it has also been used as a resupply vehicle for the FV102 Striker, carrying extra Swingfire missiles. The FV103 has combat weight of. It can achieve a maximum speed of and has a range of. It is capable of negotiating up to 60% gradients.
Variants and service
An anti-tank variant of the FV103 was produced; this was named the FV120 Spartan MCT. The FV120 has a two-man turret, and is equipped with two MILAN Anti-Tank Light Infantry Missiles in launch positions, while 11 more can be carried internally. A 'stretched Spartan' design was considered as a future replacement for the FV430, adapted by adding an extra road wheel enabled allowed 3 more dismounted personnel, and replacing the Jaguar petrol engine with a Perkins diesel offered greater range. CVR prototype number 11 was cut and extended to demonstrate the basic hull could be used as a ten-man Armoured Personnel Carrier, and a diesel engine fitted. When tests confirmed the stretched version retained the mobility of the basic CVR MVEE then built another prototype from scratch with a wider hull called the FV4333, later renamed Alvis Stormer. The Alvis Stormer and subsequent developments are described in a separate article. In 2006 it was reported to the House of Commons that 478 FV103 vehicles were in service with the armed forces of the United Kingdom in April of that year, 452 of them in deployable state. By 2007, 495 FV103 Spartans were in the service of the United Kingdom. However, these were being replaced by mid-2009 with Panther Command and Liaison Vehicles. Belgium began using Spartans, along with other CVR vehicles, in their cavalry units from 1975.
