Alvis FV104 Samaritan

Battlefield Ambulance (1976)

Land Systems / Battlefield

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The British FV104 Samaritan fulfills the role of armored battlefield ambulance.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/17/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

The FV104 Samaritan is the Armored Battlefield Ambulance (ABA) variant of the "Scorpion" CVRT ("Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Tracked") family of light Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV). Built upon the same chassis with a modified hull superstructure, the Samaritan is equipped to take on up to six wounded persons or three medical litters for transport to safety. The FV104 Samaritan pedigree brings about speed with agility and its relatively low profile make it an ideal MEDEVAC system. Requiring only a crew of two, it has proven a welcomed addition to the Scorpion family line.

Externally, the Samaritan fields a very distinct appearance when compared to the original Scorpion though this is mainly due to the fixed armored superstructure. The glacis plate is well-sloped leading up to the sloped front hull panel of the superstructure. The running gear consists of five road wheels to a track side with the drive sprocket at the front and the track idler at the rear. No track return rollers are used in the arrangement. Entry/exit is through a large rectangular door at the rear of the main hull compartment - the door being hinged along the right side. The driver mains a position at the front left of the hull under an entry/exit hatch. There is a second hatch along the superstructure roof for the vehicle commander. Power is supplied by a single Cummins BTA 6-cylinder diesel-fueled engine developing 190 horsepower. The engine is set to the front right side of the hull.

While not directly armed, the Samaritan is defended by a bank of four smoke grenade dishargers along the front right of the vehicle glacis plate. Peronal weapons may be fielded by the crew.

About 50 examples of the Samaritan were produced by the British Army, making them the sole operator of the type worldwide.

Specifications

Service Year

1976

Origin

United Kingdom

Crew

2 + 6
CREWMEN

Production

50
UNITS

Alvis - UK

(View other Vehicle-Related Manufacturers)

Philippines; United Kingdom

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Utility
General utility-minded design to accomplish a variety of battlefield tasks, typically in a non-direct-combat fashion.

✓ Special Purpose
Special purpose design developed to accomplish an equally-special battlefield role or roles.

Length

15.7 ft
4.79 m

Width

7.3 ft
2.24 m

Height

6.9 ft
2.1 m

Weight

17,798 lb
8,073 kg

Tonnage

8.9 tons
LIGHT

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Alvis FV104 Samaritan production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)

Powerplant: 1 x Cummins BTA 6-cylinder diesel engine developing 190 horsepower.

Speed

50.0 mph
(80.5 kph)

Range

400.2 mi
(644.0 km)

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Alvis FV104 Samaritan production variant. Compare this entry against any other in our database)

None.

FV101 Scorpion - Base Reconnaissance Model with 90mm main gun.

FV101 Scorpion 90 - Updated FV101 base Scorpion model.

FV102 Striker - Anti-Tank Vehicle featuring 5 x Swingfire anti-tank missiles.

FV103 Spartan - Armored Personnel Carrier

FV104 Samaritan - Battlefield Ambulance

FV105 Sultan - Battlefield Command Vehicle

FV106 Samson - Battlefield Recovery Vehicle

FV107 Scimitar - Reconnaissance Vehicle featuring a 30mm gun.

Streaker - High Mobility Carrier

Sabre - Reconnaissance Vehicle featuring a 30mm powered turret.

FV4333 Stormer - Armored Personnel Carrier based on Scorpion chassis.

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