Saxon (vehicle)
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013) |
| Saxon | |
|---|---|
 A Saxon Armoured Personnel vehicle from the Cheshire Regiment, British Army, 2003 | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin | United Kingdom |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1976-present |
| Used by | Operators |
| Wars | |
| Production history | |
| Designer | GKN Sankey |
| Designed | 1975-1976 |
| Manufacturer | |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 9,940 kg (21,910 lb) (standard) 11,660 kg (25,710 lb) (combat) |
| Length | 5.17 m (17 ft 0 in) |
| Width | 2.49 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 2.86 m (9 ft 5 in) |
| Crew | 2 |
Main armament | 7.62 mm MG |
Secondary armament | none |
| Engine | Bedford 500 6-cyl diesel 164 hp (122 kW) |
| Power/weight | 14.06 hp/t (10.48 kW/t) |
| Payload capacity | 10 passengers |
| Transmission | Allison AT-545 automatic with 4 forward gears and 1 reverse gear |
| Suspension | semi-elliptical springs and hydraulic shock absorbers |
| Fuel capacity | 153 L (34 imp gal) |
Operational range | 510 km (320 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 96 km/h (60 mph) |
| References | [1] |
The Saxon is an armoured personnel carrier formerly used by the British Army and supplied in small numbers to various overseas organisations. It was developed by GKN Sankey from earlier projects, AT 100 IS and AT104, and was due to be replaced by the Future Rapid Effect System.
History[edit]
The first operational Saxons were deployed in Germany in 1983, to equip mechanised infantry battalions. The Saxon has now been withdrawn from service in HM Armed Forces, but 147 are kept in storage.[citation needed] The Saxon has been deployed to places such as Bahrain, Brunei, Bosnia, Malaysia, Northern Ireland, Oman, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Seven Saxons were ordered by the Royal Hong Kong Police from GKN Sankey in 1987 and delivered in 1988 where they replaced 15 Saracens. They were assigned to the Police Tactical Unit[2] and remained there until withdrawn in 2009. In the Balkans, Saxons were outfitted with turrets taken from FV432s to serve as an improvised anti-sniper turret.[3]
75 Saxons were sold to Ukraine reportedly under a contract made in 2013, i.e. predating the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War.[4] The Ukrainian military announced the deal on 5 December 2014.[5] The former chief commander of British land forces, Richard Dannatt, said that supplying the vehicles to Ukraine was "immoral" as they were "useless" in high intensity warfare.[6]
In Ukrainian service, the type has seen combat against Russian forces during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. As of May 2024, available video and photographic evidence indicates Ukraine has lost at least 14 Saxons during the invasion, with 8 being captured by Russian forces and 6 being destroyed.[7]
The last reported sighting of a Saxon in Ukrainian service was in January 2024. Due their age and poor condition after eight years of combat use, they have been largely replaced with modern MRAPs provided by the United Kingdom and other allied nations.[8]
Design[edit]
The Saxon was intended to act as a cheap but efficient "battle-taxi" for units that would have to make long journeys from the UK to reinforce the British Army of the Rhine. It was made as a relatively low-cost armoured personnel carrier based on a revised Bedford M series 4x4 truck chassis and other commercially available components.[9]
As a lightly armoured wheeled vehicle, it is much faster – especially on roads – and easier to maintain than a tracked vehicle. It shares many parts with commercial trucks, reducing the operating cost. It is armoured against small-arms fire and shell splinters but is not intended to stand up to any anti-vehicle weaponry. The vehicle has a single machine gun for local air defence.
The Saxon's hull is welded steel with a V-shaped under-chassis plate to deflect mine detonations. Seating is provided in the rear for up to ten troops, although eight is a more comfortable load if all their equipment is included.[9] There is an equipment stowage area on the hull roof.[9]
Some Saxon IS, or Saxon Patrol, vehicles were acquired for service in Northern Ireland, serving as ambulances or troop carriers, which had extendible wings that could be used as protective shields during a riot. Compared to the standard model, these have various minor modifications intended for internal security operations, such as searchlights and wire cutters.
Variants[edit]
The Saxon can be fitted out as:
- APC[10]
- Command Vehicle[10]
- Incident Control vehicle[10]
- ARV[10]
- Saxon Patrol[10]
- LHD converted Saxons by KADDB in Jordan[11]
Operators[edit]
Current operators[edit]
Congo − 28 as of 2024[12]
Djibouti: 4+ as of 2024[13]
Jordan − Reportedly still in use by the gendarmerie as of 2024[14]
Malaysia − 44,[15] Used by the General Operations Force as of 2024[16]
Mozambique − 25 as of 2024[17]
Nigeria − 70+ as of 2024, serviceability doubtful[18]
Oman − 15 as of 2024[19]
Somalia − 25+ as of 2024[20]
Ukraine − Ukraine's Ministry of Defense has purchased 75 second-hand vehicles, which have been delivered in two shipments in 2015[21][22]
Former operators[edit]
Bahrain − 10 in 2011[15]
Hong Kong − 7 delivered to the Hong Kong Police Force Police Tactical Unit in 1988.[23] All retired in 2009 and replaced by Unimog U5000s[24]
Iraq − 60 delivered in 2007[15]
Ivory Coast − 4 second-hand vehicles delivered in 2016 for use with MINUSMA[25]
Mauritania − 4 second-hand vehicles were delivered in 2016 via France for United Nations operation in the Central African Republic[26]
United Kingdom − 180 in service with the British Army in 2011.[15] All were taken out of service in 2012,[1] with some donated to other nations[22]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Foss 2011, p. 717.
- ^ "Hong Kong's Saracen armoured police cars on patrol in small-town England". 23 January 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016.
- ^ "The Not So Secret Life of the Saxon – Think Defence". 14 February 2015.
- ^ "Ukraine receives British troop carriers". The Guardian. 14 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
- ^ "Міноборони закупило 75 бронемашин Saxon".
- ^ Dassanayake, Dion (25 March 2015). "VIDEO: Embarrassing moment tank sent to Ukraine by UK struggles to climb TINY hill".
- ^ Janovsky, Jakub; naalsio26; Aloha; Dan; Kemal; Black, Alexander (24 February 2022). "Attack On Europe: Documenting Ukrainian Equipment Losses During The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine". Oryx. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Axe, David (30 March 2024). "When Ukrainian Troops Were Desperate For Armored Vehicles, In 2015, All They Could Get Were Old British Battle-Taxis". Forbes. Retrieved 16 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "Saxon". Military Today. Archived from the original on 18 January 2007.
- ^ a b c d e "AT105 Saxon 4x4 armoured vehicle personnel carrier technical data sheet specifications description U | United Kingdom British Army wheeled vehicle UK | British Army United Kingdom military equipment UK".
- ^ Administrator. "Saxon KADDB armoured vehicle personnel carrier technical data sheet specifications information UK - Jordan Jordanian army wheeled armoured vehicles UK - Jordan Jordanian army military equipment vehicles". www.armyrecognition.com.
- ^ IISS 2024, p. 483.
- ^ IISS 2024, p. 487.
- ^ IISS 2024, p. 365.
- ^ a b c d Foss 2011, p. 718.
- ^ IISS 2024, p. 293.
- ^ IISS 2024, p. 505.
- ^ IISS 2024, p. 511.
- ^ IISS 2024, p. 377.
- ^ IISS 2024, p. 516.
- ^ "British Saxon armored cars to be delivered to Ukrainian army after conversion and testing". UNIAN (13 February 2015). Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ a b Marcin Gawęda. ""Useless" Saxon Vehicles Surprisingly Useful in Ukraine. Kiev Benefits From The "Cost-Effect" Ratio". Defence 24. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
- ^ Foss 2011, p. 716.
- ^ "New Armoured Personnel Carrier on the way". Hong Kong Police Force. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2013.
- ^ "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
- ^ "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
Bibliography[edit]
- Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, Charles Heyman. Leo Cooper, 2003.
- Foss, Christopher F., ed. (2011). Jane's Armour and Artillery 2011-2012 (32th ed.). Jane's Information Group. ISBN 978-0-7106-2960-9.
- International Institute for Strategic Studies (2024). The Military Balance 2024. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-040-05115-3.