Chapter Five
The first tanks were designed by William Foster of Lincoln and Walter Wilson during the First World War, with production of the machine entrusted to Fosters and the Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage & Wagon Company of Wednesbury, a company that was taken over by Vickers-Armstrong in 1919. Until 1936 Vickers was the only company producing tanks in Britain.
During the Second World War, when it was very much a case of ‘all hands to the pump’, companies such as Vauxhall, Nuffield and Leyland all became involved in tank production, but in the post-war years British tank production has been in the hands of two companies: Vickers-Armstrong (later Vickers Defence Systems) and the government-owned Royal Ordnance Factories (ROF). When Vickers took over the tank-production facilities of the Royal Ordnance Factories in 1986, it became Britain’s only tank manufacturer, and when Vickers was itself taken over by Alvis in 2002, the new company dominated the production of armoured fighting vehicles in this country and, as BAE Systems, went on to take over General Dynamics in the USA, manufacturers of the US Army’s Abrams main battle tank.
Although Vickers played a significant role in the development and production of the Centurion and the Conqueror, and was subsequently wholly responsible for the Challenger 2, much of the design and production work on the Chieftain and the Challenger 1 went to the Royal Ordnance Factories. In order to survive in the business of building tanks, Vickers secured contracts to modify and manufacture British tanks for the export market. For example, along with the Royal Ordnance Factory Leeds, Vickers was involved in the production of Chieftains for Iran and Kuwait, and also assisted in the further development of the Chieftain 800 and 900, which had originally been designed at Leeds, as the possible basis for selling surplus Chieftains to Pakistan.
However, in the late 1950s Vickers decided that it would once again produce tanks to its own designs for export to developing countries, a business that the company had found very profitable during the interwar years.
CHIEFTAIN 800 and 900
Dating from around 1981, Chieftain 800 and Chieftain 900 were produced as a private venture by the Royal Ordnance Factory Leeds. The intention was to upgrade Chieftain by incorporating improvements to firepower, protection and mobility, while keeping the weight below 56 tons. Two development vehicles were constructed using a late model Chieftain chassis. The original Leyland L60 engine, which had been heavily criticised for its lack of performance and reliability, was ousted in favour of a twelve-cylinder Rolls-Royce Condor coupled to a David Brown TN12/1000 six-speed transmission. The engine of the Chieftain 800 was rated at 800bhp, while that of the Chieftain 900 was rated at 900bhp.
Major improvements to the hull included the addition of Chobham composite armour, and there was also a new welded-steel turret mounting the ROF 120mm L11A5 rifled tank gun.
There were no subsequent sales but both vehicles have survived, at least in part. The Chieftain 900 is at the Tank Museum, while the turret from the Chieftain 800 was recently put up for auction by Witham Specialist Vehicles, having been mounted on a standard Chieftain hull by Marconi Avionics as a trials vehicle in 1993.
SHIR 1 and 2
Under the former Shah’s regime, Iran had purchased large numbers of Chieftain gun tanks and armoured recovery vehicles. In late 1974 the Royal Ordnance Factory Leeds received a huge contract for two variants of an upgraded Chieftain dubbed Shir (the name was derived from ‘SHah’ of ‘IRan’). With a total of 1,350 tanks covered by the contract, this was the largest single export order received by ROF during peacetime.
Shir 1 (FV4030/2), of which there were to be 125 examples, was a late production Chieftain with modified suspension that doubled the amount of wheel travel available, a Rolls-Royce CV12 TCA Condor diesel engine, coupled to a David Brown TN37 automatic transmission, and the addition of a Marconi Avionics computer sighting system. In early 1979, following the revolution in Iran, the contract was cancelled while production was under way but the Shir 1 was subsequently modified to become the Khalid main battle tank.
Designed by the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE), Shir 2 (FV4030/3) was a far more ambitious project. Although the powerpack was identical to that fitted to Shir 1, the hull was completely new and, for the first time on a British armoured fighting vehicle (AFV), incorporated hydropneumatic suspension. There was also a new angular turret which, like the hull, incorporated Chobham composite armour. By the time the contract was cancelled, RARDE had started trials on at least two prototype vehicles.
Shir 2 eventually evolved into the Challenger 1. Ironically, the British Army’s obsolete Challengers have ended up in Jordan, not quite Iran’s next-door neighbour but not far away.
KHALID
In November 1979 the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan placed a £266 million order with the Royal Ordnance Factory Leeds for 278 Khalid main battle tanks, with delivery scheduled to begin in 1981. Based on the hull of the Chieftain Mk 5, Khalid was essentially a further development of the FV4030/2 that had been produced for Iran, but with minor modifications specified by the Jordan Arab Army. Modifications to the rear of the hull allowed the Leyland L60 engine to be replaced by a Rolls-Royce CV12 TCA Condor unit (later to become the Perkins Condor), connected to a David Brown TN37 four-speed automatic transmission driving the rear sprockets – in effect, giving the Chieftain hull the running gear of the later Challenger 1. The suspension was a development of that used on the Chieftain but with increased travel.
The main armament was the ROF 120mm L11A5 rifled tank gun, installed in conjunction with a co-axial 7.62mm machine gun; a second 7.62mm machine gun was mounted on the commander’s cupola. A new fire-control system was fitted.
The changes resulted in a combat weight of 55 tons and the tank had a top speed on the road of 32mph.
ROF RO2004 LIGHT TANK
Designed and constructed by the Royal Ordnance Factory Leeds at the end of the 1980s, and predating the company’s 1986 take-over by Vickers Defence Systems, the RO2004 was the light tank of the company’s RO2000 series general-purpose tracked chassis. The vehicle was equipped with a 105mm L7 rifled gun with a bustlemounted autoloader, and there was also a co-axial Hughes 7.62mm chain gun. The hull was designed for a three-man crew, and was protected by what the company described as a ‘dynamic armour system’, with the addition of appliqué armour on the sides and face of the turret. It was claimed that this would provide protection against both chemical-energy and kinetic-energy rounds to a standard not generally available from vehicles in this market sector.
The engine was a Perkins TV8-640, eight-cylinder turbocharged diesel, producing 320bhp from 10,488cc, and driving the front sprockets through a Self Changing Gears T320 automatic six-speed transmission, a combination able to drive the 21.5-ton vehicle to a maximum speed of 35mph. Independent transverse torsion-bar suspension was provided for each of the five road wheels and ROF claimed that a hydro-pneumatic suspension system was in development.
Other variants on the same chassis included an armoured mortar vehicle, armoured personnel carrier and 105mm or 122mm self-propelled gun. The series was intended to be sold to customers in the Middle East and to developing nations elsewhere, but, although prototypes were said to have been delivered to Egypt for competitive trials and were tested in excess of 6,000 miles ‘over some of the most arduous conditions in the world’, there is no evidence that any sales were actually achieved.
VICKERS MAIN BATTLE TANKS
In the late 1950s Vickers had designed a light tank armed with a 20-pounder (84mm) gun as a private venture. This never progressed beyond the drawing board but in 1961 Vickers signed an agreement with the Indian government under which the company would help to establish a tank-manufacturing facility near Madras to construct the Vijayanta main battle tank – the name means ‘victorious’ or ‘conqueror’. The agreement also provided that Vickers would produce the first ninety examples before passing production across to India in 1965.
This was the first of a series of main battle tanks that culminated in the appearance of the Vickers/FMC VFM5, developed jointly by Vickers Defence Systems and the American FMC Corporation in 1986.
Vickers MBT Mk 1
The prototype of what was effectively the Vickers main battle tank (VMBT) Mk 1 was completed in 1963 and the tank entered service in 1965. Designed to be as simple and cost-effective as possible, the vehicle was constructed around an all-steel welded hull with a maximum armour thickness of 80mm, and with accommodation for a driver, commander, gunner and loader. The combat weight of the vehicle was 37.5 tons. Armaments included the 105mm L7 weapon of the Centurion, together with a co-axial 7.62mm machine gun, a second similar gun mounted on the turret, plus a turret-mounted 0.5in ranging machine gun.
Production vehicles were powered by the same type of Leyland L60 multi-fuel engine as the Chieftain, driving through a David Brown TN12 six-speed semiautomatic epicyclic transmission. With a combat weight some 15 per cent lighter than the Chieftain, the L60 gave a top speed on the road in the order of 30mph, combined with a cross-country performance that was said to be at least equal to any contemporary main battle tank. The VMBT Mk 1 was also offered with a GM Detroit-Diesel 12V-71T two-stroke diesel engine, and other engines were also considered, including a pair of Rolls-Royce K60 units, a German MAN diesel and a US-built Teledyne Continental engine.
By the time production ended in India in 1983, some 2,200 vehicles had been constructed in Britain and India, with seventy delivered to Kuwait between 1970 and 1972.
Vickers MBT Mk 2
Dating from 1968, the VMBT Mk 2 was an improved version of the original machine, with a new turret front, redesigned frontal aspect to the hull, upgraded tracks and more powerful engine. There was also provision for fitting a pair of launchers for the BAC Swingfire wire-guided anti-tank missile on either side of the turret rear. There was no series production.
Vickers MBT Mk 3
Incorporating many of the improvements seen in the Mk 2, including, for the first time, a commander’s cupola, the prototype for the VMBT Mk 3 was completed in 1975. The original Leyland L60 engine was replaced by a GM Detroit-Diesel 12V-71T turbocharged two-stroke diesel giving a slight improvement to the maximum speed on the road, to 32mph. The twelve-cylinder Rolls-Royce CV12 TCE Condor engine was also available as an option. No changes were made to the weapons systems, but there were improvements to the sighting and firecontrol equipment.
Production got under way three years later, with a number of vehicles delivered to Kenya and Nigeria. There was also an armoured repair and recovery vehicle (ARRV) version, supplied to Tanzania and Nigeria in small numbers, as well as an armoured bridgelayer, also purchased by Nigeria.
Production continued until the end of the 1980s, by which time the tank had been upgraded to VMBT Mk 3(I) – meaning ‘improved’ – by the addition of a new transmission system, muzzle-reference system and changes to the hull.
Vickers Valiant MBT Mk 4
With a name borrowed from one of the least successful tank designs of the Second World War – or perhaps, more likely, one which nodded in recognition of Britain’s four-engined bomber, part of the Royal Air Force’s Cold War V-bomber nuclear force of the 1950–60s – the VMBT Mk 4 was designated Valiant. The design work started in 1977, with the first prototype shown at the British Army Equipment Exhibition (BAEE) in 1980.
Constructed around an aluminium hull and an angular, welded steel universal turret, the Valiant was designed to exploit the development of Chobham composite armour, which enabled the weight to be kept down to around 47 tons without compromising protection. The first prototype was armed with the familiar ROF 105mm L7A3 rifled tank gun, but this eventually gave way to a 120mm L11 weapon; the Rheinmetall 120mm smooth-bore gun, as fitted to the German Leopard main battle tank, was also available as an option. The secondary armament consisted of a co-axial Hughes 7.62mm chain gun, together with either a 12.7mm or 0.5in machine gun mounted on the commander’s cupola. At the time the target-acquisition and fire-control systems were considered to be among the best in the world.
Power was provided by a Rolls-Royce CV12 TCA Condor diesel, developing 1,000bhp and driving through a six-speed David Brown TN12/1000 fully automatic transmission.
It is difficult to determine whether any were actually sold, but the turret went on to be used on the VMBT Mk 7.
Vickers MBT Mk 5 or Vickers/FMC VFM5
With its distinctively rounded shape, the Vickers MBT Mk 5 – also known as the Vickers/FMC VFM5 – was a lightweight main battle tank intended for export to developing countries. It was the result of a collaboration between Vickers Defence Systems and the American FMC Corporation, following the signing of an agreement in 1985.
Constructed around a completely new hull of aluminium armour and weighing just 20 tons, the VFM5 was designed to be air-por table by C-130 Hercules or C-141 Starlifter transpor t aircraft, and yet the advanced armour was said to provide higher levels of protection than that available in other tanks of a comparable weight or class. The turret was designed to accept either the ROF 105mm rifled tank gun, the Rheinmetall 105mm super low-recoil gun or the US 105mm M68, firing a wide range of ammunition types. A 7.62mm machine gun was mounted co-axially with the main weapon, together with a 0.5in or 7.62mm machine gun at the loader’s station. Computerised fire-control equipment was supplied by Marconi Avionics.
A GM Detroit-Diesel 6V-92TA turbocharged diesel engine was installed in the rear, accessible via a fold-down hatch, and coupled to a Lockheed-Martin HPMT-500-3 fully automatic transmission, driving the rear sprockets. Suspension was provided by virtue of trailing arms and torsion bars.
The first prototype appeared at the British Army Equipment Exhibition (BAEE) in 1986, but it seems that the design failed to attract any sales.
Vickers MBT Mk 7
The VMBT Mk 7, or Mk 7/2, was a joint collaboration between Vickers Defence Systems and the German company Krauss-Maffei, and was a logical development of the Mk 4, attempting to combine the firepower and turret system of the Mk 4 Valiant with the improved mobility of the Mk 5. Work started in 1984, with the first prototype appearing a year later.
It was essentially the chassis of the Krauss-Maffei Leopard 2, on which was fitted an updated version of the turret of the Valiant, mounting an ROF 120mm L11 rifled gun designed to fire fin-stabilised anti-tank rounds; Rheinmetall 120mm and Giat 120mm guns, both of smooth-bore configuration, were also offered as alternatives. Secondary armament included a pair of 7.62mm machine guns, one installed coaxially with the main gun. The VMBT Mk 7 was one of the first tanks to be fitted with computer-based digital fire-and gun-control systems, the equipment being supplied by Marconi Avionics.
The engine was the German MTU MB 873, a twelve-cylinder turbocharged diesel with a power output of 1,500bhp, coupled to a Renk HSWL four-speed automatic transmission driving the rear sprockets. In common with the Leopard 2, the hull was constructed from spaced, multi-layered composite armour, and rode on torsion-bar suspension. The turret was of welded steel, with a layer of appliqué Chobham armour on the front and sides. All-up combat weight was 54 tons and the maximum road speed was 45mph, with a range of 340 miles.
Despite Vickers’ claim that the VMBT Mk 7 could out-perform any existing tank in its class, just one vehicle was constructed and it made its first public appearance at the British Army Equipment Exhibition in 1988. There were no sales, but the VMBT Mk 7 ultimately led to the development of the British Army’s Challenger 2.
VICKERS/NORINCO NVH-1 MCV
Developed and marketed jointly by Vickers Defence Systems and China North Industries (NORINCO), the NVH-1 mechanised combat vehicle (MCV) consisted of the welded-steel hull of the Chinese H1 armoured personnel carrier (APC), on which was fitted a two-man Vickers power-operated turret, mounting a 30mm RARDEN cannon. A 25mm Hughes chain gun was mounted co-axially with the main weapon. There was sufficient space inside the hull to accommodate nine fully equipped men, including the driver and commander.
The first prototype appeared in 1986, powered by a Deutz BF8L air-cooled turbocharged diesel engine, coupled to a four-speed manual transmission. There was no series production.
VICKERS MCV
The Vickers mechanised combat vehicle (MCV) may have been designed as an entry in the contest for the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) MCV-80 project that ultimately resulted in the production of the GKN Warrior.
Intended to combine a Vickers power-operated turret with the proven hull and superstructure of the American Bradley M2 infantry vehicle, it was powered by a Cummins VTA-903T turbocharged diesel, coupled to a General Electric HMPT-500 fully automatic transmission. Vickers proposed two variants; the first was an armoured personnel carrier armed with a 30mm RARDEN cannon or Bushmaster M242 chain gun in a small turret, while the second was a light tank, mounting the ROF 105mm L7 low-recoil gun, together with a 7.62mm Hughes chain gun in a larger angular turret. Both provided accommodation for ten men in the hull.
Illustrations in the sales literature produced at the time of the vehicle’s launch show what are clearly scale models, so it may well be that no full-sized vehicles were produced.
VICKERS ARMOURED REPAIR AND RECOVERY VEHICLE
In response to a request for three such vehicles from Kenya in 1977, the Vickers main battle tank Mk 3 was modified to provide an armoured repair and recovery vehicle (ARRV), either with or without a hydraulic crane for changing AFV powerpacks in the field.
With the turret removed, a 25-ton capstan winch was installed in the left-hand side of the hull, alongside the driver, with a large spade anchor fitted at the front. A cradle could be fitted to the rear deck to enable the vehicle to carry an AFV powerpack, and buyers could also ask for an auxiliary winch to be installed. A 7.62mm general purpose machine gun (GPMG) was mounted on the roof. There was a choice of engine: either the Rolls-Royce V12 1200A or a General Motors 12V-71T, in both cases coupled to a David Brown TN12 automatic transmission.
The first examples were delivered in 1981, with seven vehicles ultimately delivered to Kenya, ten to Nigeria and a number to Tanzania.
VICKERS ARMOURED BRIDGELAYER
During the late 1970s Vickers started designing an armoured bridgelayer known as the VAB, using the hull and superstructure of the Vickers Mk 3 main battle tank. The vehicle carried a Class 60/70 Biber horizontally launched bridge with an overall length of 44ft; the bridge was carried in an inverted position across the hull, and launched hydraulically before being detached from the launch vehicle. After use the bridge could be recovered and rotated back on to the vehicle hull.
Although the VAB was ostensibly designed for possible sale to the Middle East, the only buyer has been Nigeria, which took a total of twelve of these vehicles.
First appearing in 1981, Chieftain 900 was a private venture by ROF Leeds. Based on an upgraded Chieftain fitted with a Rolls-Royce engine, it included Chobham composite armour and was fitted with a 120mm rifled tank gun. Despite these various improvements to what was already a formidable tank, there was no series production. (Warehouse Collection)
The Khalid main battle tank (FV4211) was essentially an improvement on the Iranian Shir 1, orders for which had been cancelled when the Shah was deposed in 1979. Based on the hull of the Chieftain Mk 5, but with the Leyland L60 engine replaced by a Rolls-Royce, which necessitated a longer engine compartment, it was constructed by ROF Leeds, with a total of 278 vehicles supplied to Jordan from 1981. (Warehouse Collection)
The hull of the ROF Leedsdesigned RO2004 light tank. Built largely for export to the Middle East and to developing nations, the RO2004 family included an armoured mortar vehicle, an armoured personnel carrier, and 105mm and 122mm self-propelled guns, all constructed on a common chassis. (Warehouse Collection)
The Indian Army Vijayanta main battle tank was also offered for broader sale under the designation Vickers main battle tank Mk 1 (VMBT Mk 1). (Vickers Defence Systems)
There was no series production of the VMBT Mk 2, but the Mk 3 was much improved. The main gun was not changed, but the Leyland L60 engine was replaced by a GM Detroit-Diesel 12V-71T turbocharged two-stroke diesel, which brought improved performance. (Vickers Defence Systems)
The VMBT Mk 3(I) was further improved by changes to the hull and turret, and by the addition of a new transmission and muzzle-reference system. (Vickers Defence Systems)
The VMBT Mk 5 – or Vickers/FMC VFM5 – was a joint project between Vickers Defence Systems and the American FMC Corporation dating from 1985. Sadly no actual sales were made. (Vickers Defence Systems)
The rounded shape of the lightweight aluminium hull of the VMBT Mk 5 made for a very impressive machine and, with a turret designed to accept either the ROF 105mm rifled tank gun, the Rheinmetall 105mm super low-recoil gun or the US 105mm M68, it was capable of an equally impressive performance. (Vickers Defence Systems)
With work starting in 1984, the VMBT Mk 7 was a joint collaboration between Vickers Defence Systems and Krauss-Maffei, and was intended to combine the versatile firepower and turret system of the Mk 4 Valiant with the improved mobility of the Mk 5. Despite being shown at BAEE in 1988, there were no sales, but the design eventually evolved into the Challenger 2. (Vickers Defence Systems)
A joint venture between Vickers Defence Systems and China North Industries (NORINCO), the NVH-1 mechanised combat vehicle was based on the weldedsteel hull of the Chinese H1 armoured personnel carrier (APC), to which was fitted a two-man Vickers poweroperated turret with a 30mm RARDEN cannon. (Vickers Defence Systems)
Scale model of the Vickers mechanised combat vehicle, which may have been intended as a contender for the British Army’s MCV-80 project, eventually won by the GKN Warrior. (Vickers Defence Systems)
Based on the chassis of the VMBT Mk 3, the Vickers armoured repair and recovery vehicle was supplied to Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania. The turret was removed and a 25-ton winch fitted into the hull; the vehicle could be specified with or without a rear-mounted hydraulic crane. (Vickers Defence Systems)