FV434
| FV434, Armoured Repair Vehicle | |
|---|---|
| Type | Armoured Maintenance Vehicle |
| Place of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | GKN Sankey |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 15 tons (15.3 t) |
| Length | 5.88 m |
| Width | 2.8 m |
| Height | 2.77 m |
| Crew | 4 troops |
| Armour | 12.7 mm max |
Main armament | 7.62 mm L7 GPMG |
Secondary armament | smoke dischargers |
| Engine | Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel 240 hp |
| Power/weight | 15.7 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | torsion-bar, 5 units each side |
| Maximum speed | 29 mph (47 km/h) |
The FV434 is the Armoured Repair Vehicle variant of the British Army's FV430 series of armoured fighting vehicles. Introduced in the 1960's and is operated by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). It is still used by REME but is soon to be phased out
Description
The FV434's primary role is to repair disabled and damaged vehicles, but it also has a limited recovery capability. It is fitted with a crane to assist its work in repairing armoured and un-armoured vehicles capable of lifting up to 3 Ton. The FV434 is capable of changing other FV430 series power packs however it is unable to handle the power pack the British Army's MBT the Challenger 2. This is done by Challenger ARRV in forward areas and soft skin repair vehicles in base areas.
In addition to the crane the FV424 is fitted with a fold away work bench to the rear of the vehicle. Like its personnel carrier version it is capable of amphibious operation with the aid of a floatation screen. once in the water it is propelled by its tracks at up to 5.6km/h. It is crewed by 4 soldiers, commander, driver and two fitters.
Examples on Display
The REME Museum of Technology has an example of a FV434 demonstrating the change of a power-pack on a FV432.
See also
Bibliography
- Foss, C and Gander, T, "Jane's Military Vehicles and Ground Support Equipment" (1984)
- Military Vehicles and Logistics