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Alvis FV102 Striker

Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) Carrier (1976)

The FV102 Alvis Striker missile carrier proved a compact and effective tank-killing addition to British Army ranks in the late 1970s.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/28/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

The Alvis Striker of the CVR(T) family of tracked vehicles in service with the British Army is a dedicated missile carrier form intended for anti-armor missions. The vehicle utilizes the "Swingfire" anti-tank guided missile allowing the Striker to counter the threat as posed by modern enemy tanks at distances out to 4,000 meters (2.5 miles). The missile is controlled by either direct optic or thermal imaging sighting device. The vehicle can also work in conjunction with a separate optical sight up to 100 meters away allowing the Striker hull to remain safely hidden in cover while engaging with its missiles through the launcher fitted atop. The Striker entered service with the British Army in 1976 as part of the Royal Artillery before being transferred under Royal Armoured Corps control.

All Striker vehicles were fielded with five primary ready-to-fire Swingfire missiles with five reloads in tow. Missiles were originally managed through a Manual Command Line-of-Sight stick control interface before a Semi-Automatic Command Line-of-Sight function was added (SACLOS). Through the manual method, course corrections were sent to the launched missile attached wire based on operator input. Through the semi-automatic method, the operator merely maintained the target in his crosshairs, the missile correcting its own flight course.

Outwardly, the vehicle managed an appearance similar to the FV103 Spartan Armored Personnel Carrier of the same CRV(T) family of tracked vehicles. The vehicle was dimensionally compact with a gradually sloping glacis plate, front-mounted engine and middle-set fighting compartment. The launch system was fitted to the rear of the hull roof. The driver managed a position at the front left of the hull complete with hatch and vision blocks. Running gear included five double-tired road wheels to a track side with the drive sprocket at front and track idler at rear. Eight smoke grenade dischargers were fitted in clusters of four to each front hull side. Self defense was through a single 7.62mm L7 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), the British standard GPMG based on the Belgian FN MAG. The gave the vehicle support against both infantry, light-skinned vehicles and low-flying aircraft. The vehicle featured a standard operating crew of three to include the driver, commander and weapons specialist.

Power was served through a Cummins BTR diesel-fueled engine developing190 horsepower. This allowed the vehicle a top road speed of 80 kmh which gave it the needed pace to keep up with mechanized forces of the British Army.

Striker vehicles were deployed to the Gulf where they proved active elements of British armored forves. However, Striker missile carriers no longer actively serve in the inventory of the British Army, given up for good in 2005 with the arrival of the American man-portable Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM).

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