The FV 603 Saracen was a six-wheeled armoured vehicle built by Alvis used by the British army for transporting troops. In Norse mythology, Alvis (all-wise) was a dwarf. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British military. ...
As a member of the FV 600 series it shares the same chassis as the FV601 Saladin armoured car and a command vehicle. Besides the driver and commander could carry a squad of 8 soldiers plus a troop commander, making 9 in total. A machine gun could be mounted on the roof and there were ports on the sides through which troops can fire. Although removed from active service, it saw extensive use into the 1980's in Northern Ireland and was a familiar sight during "the troubles". The original model was produced in 3 variants. Armoured Personnel Carrier, Armoured Command Vehicle and Ambulance. The Saracen was produced both with turrets fitted and without, and a further model ( FV610 ) was added to the list, this was a Command Vehicle with a taller body, and an awning fitted to the rear as standard equipment.Although designated an FV, this vehicle carried only defensive weapons ( Smoke Dischargers,)except for the personal weapons carried as a matter of course by it's crew. The Saracen saw 6 Marks, Mk 1 the standard vehicle,Mk 2 a modified vesion but still standard, Mk 3 fitted with Reverse-flow Cooling for use in unusually hot climes, Mk 4 (never saw production), Mk 5 (Northern Ireland) a Mk 1 or 2 modified with extra armour specifically for use in Northern Ireland, and Mk 6 (N.I.) a Mk 3 modified with extra armour as with the Mk 5. Weaponry was typically a Browning 30 Calibre Heavy Machine Gun in the turret, and a Bren Gun for the Gun-ring at the rear of the vehicle ,(Mk 1). Later Marks carried the LMG, and GPMG A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Northern Ireland is one of four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. ...
External link
British Saracen Armoured Personnel Carrier (http://www.clash-of-steel.co.uk/gallery/pages/QYsaracen2.html)
The initial proposals for a future APC requirement were floated in 1967 and from 1968 until 1971, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) conducted in-house feasibility studies.
The Warrior was designed to replace the FV432 APC in the thirteen mechanised infantry battalions of the 1st, 3rd and 4th Armoured Divisions of BAOR in West Germany.
Finally, GKN Defence (now Alvis Vehicles) developed a variant of the Warrior in mid-1998 known as Warrior 2000 to meet the requirements of the Swiss Army who in the end chose the Hägglunds Vehicle CV 9030CH.
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