Today we’ll be taking a look at the FV107 Scimitar, a British light tank with a 30 mm autocannon on a light chassis, capable of positioning itself well around the map and causing havoc to the enemy!
FV107 Scimitar: A Light Tank for Great Britain at Rank V
At a glance:
- 30 mm L21A1 automatic cannon using the same ammunition as the Fox.
- Great top speed of 80 km/h.
- Light armor.
Vehicle History
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The FV107 Scimitar dates back to 1967, when the (CVR(T)) chassis was first designed to replace the Saladin armored car. In addition to the FV101 Scorpion, the Scimitar was also designed by Alvis as a light reconnaissance tank with 30 mm automatic fire potential. The first prototype was shown in 1971 and accepted into service in 1973, with 486 of these vehicles being produced in total.
Since 1974, the Scimitar has served in several conflicts, including the Falklands War, Gulf War, Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. In 1982 during the Falklands War, the Blues & Royals squadron operated the Scimitar and claimed to have shot down an Argentine Skyhawk with the 30 mm autocannon. In the 1991 Gulf War, Scimitars engaged Iraqi T-62s first hand. Over 300 Scimitars remained in service with the British Army until 2023, when it was phased out for the incoming Ajax. Some other operators include Belgium with over 150 vehicles in use until 2004 and Latvia with over 120 vehicles since 2014, still in service with them today.
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Meet the FV107 Scimitar!
Great Britain will be receiving a very nice light tank in the next major update, and that’s the FV107 Scimitar! This vehicle is somewhat similar to two others already in the game: the Fox, as it has the same gun, and the Striker, as it has a very similar chassis. Let’s take a closer look!
Another long-awaited light tank is arriving to Great Britain’s ground forces tree. Let’s take a look at the gun first! As with the Fox that we added earlier this year, the Scimitar features exactly the same gun and ammo — the 30 mm L21A1 RARDEN cannon that can fire APDS, APHE (SAP-I) and HEI-T rounds. Despite having a slower rate of fire than contemporary autocannons, the Scimitar can still certainly hold up against armored threats when hitting enemies from the side and rear.
Interesting: The word “Scimitar” refers to a single-edged sword with a curved blade.
As for mobility, the Scimitar is slightly inferior to the Fox due to its higher weight and tracked chassis. This vehicle comes in at around 8 tons with a top speed of 80 km/h and is almost identical as the FV102 Striker already in the game, apart from the fact that the Scimitar is smaller. These chassis have familiarities as they’re both based on the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) series of vehicles.
Did you know? The (CVR(T)) series of vehicles is huge! Over 3,500 vehicles were built on this chassis, including the Scorpion, Striker, Spartan, Samaritan, Sultan, Samson, Scimitar, Sabre and Stormer.
Just like the Fox, the Scimitar features light aluminum alloy armor — enough to survive hits against anything up to a .50 cal, but anything above that will knock out the 3 crew members inside. Be sure to keep this in mind in battle and support your allies by flanking and spotting with the scouting mechanic! To round it off, the Scimitar has smoke grenade launchers to conceal itself or to assist when repositioning, plus a 7.62 machine gun for good measure.
That’s it for today’s blog! The FV107 Scimitar is coming to the game in the next major update and will provide Great Britain with even more light tank capabilities. Until the next blog, have fun and see you soon!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.
