Ukraine Receives First Batch of UK FV103 Spartan Tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier

The “Horevica” Telegram account reported that the Ukrainian Army took delivery of FV103 Spartan tracked armoured personnel carrier donated by the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom (UK) has approved the delivery of 120 armored vehicles to Ukraine following a meeting between Boris Johnson and Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. The UK will be gifting Ukraine are understood to be Mastiff, Wolfhound, Husky and Spartan. The FV103 Spartan was developed during the 1970s as the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) version of the British Army’s Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) (CVR(T)) family of armoured fighting vehicles, designed by Alvis plc.

FV103 Spartan is a tracked armoured personnel carrier of the British Army. 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.

The Spartan was powered by a 4.2 xk jaguar petrol engine. The vehicle is 5.16 metres (16.9 ft) in length and 2.48 metres (8 ft 2 in) in width. With a ground clearance of 0.33 metres (1 ft 1 in), it has a height of 2.63 metres (8 ft 8 in). As the APC variant of the CVR(T) family, the FV103 has been used by small specialized groups such as mortar fire controller teams, anti aircraft teams and also reconnaissance teams. The FV103 has combat weight of 10,670 kilograms (23,520 lb). It can achieve a maximum speed of 96 kilometres per hour (60 mph) and has a range of 510 kilometres (320 mi). It is capable of negotiating up to 60% gradients.

The Spartan 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 armoured personnel carrier role, it has also been used as a resupply vehicle for the FV102 Striker, carrying extra Swingfire missiles. When tests confirmed the stretched version retained the mobility of the basic CVR(T) MVEE then built another prototype from scratch with a wider hull called the FV4333, later renamed Alvis Stormer (Alvis having purchased the design rights).