×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Chart (2024) Special Forces
HOME
ARMOR INDEX
MODERN ARMIES
ARMOR BY COUNTRY
VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE VEHICLES
VEHICLES BY CONFLICT
VEHICLES BY TYPE
VEHICLES BY DECADE
COLD WAR VEHICLES
Land Systems / Battlefield

Alvis FV601 Saladin


6x6 Wheeled Armored Car [ 1958 ]



The Saladin armored car was designed in the years following World War 2 but did not enter service until 1958.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/16/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
The Saladin Armored Car was a British multi-role vehicle appearing in the post-World War 2 years. It was brought online after a lengthy development period to replace the outgoing 4x4 AEC Armored Car that was used throughout the British campaigns of World War 2, first beginning in North Africa, and went on to serve for a time thereafter. The Saladin was named after the Kurdish Muslim warrior Saladin who led campaigns against European crusaders and was ultimately ruler over what is today modern-day Egypt, Syria and Yemen as well as the regions consisting of Mesopotamia and Hejas. Despite development of the Saladin beginning in the post-war years, the type did not formally enter British service until 1958.

The Saladin was part of the Alvis family of FV600 series vehicles (all named with designations beginning with the letter "S"). Another vehicle in the line, the 6x6 FV603 Saracen, was also born from the FV600 family and used extensively in policing territories in Northern Ireland. Similarly, the Saladin was developed with a 6x6 wheelbase that made use of a 6x6 wheeled suspension system and borrowed some of the drivetrain lessons as learned in the development of the Saracen. While the Saracen itself was billed as an Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) at heart, the Saladin was categorized as a dedicated armored car system.©MilitaryFactory.com
Externally, the Saladin was conventional in nature. The engine was fitted to a rear compartment with the driver maintaining his position at the front hull. The glacis plate was well sloped to provide for some ballistics protection from enemy projectiles. The sides of the vehicle were characterized by its six large road wheels (three wheels to a hull side). Ground clearance was excellent and allowed for good cross-country performance. The heart of the Saladin system was its 360-degree traversing turret that mounted a formidable 76mm main gun, capable of engaging early Cold War-era tanks to an extent. The main gun was backed by a pair of 0.30 caliber general purpose machine guns (one coaxially-mounted in the turret) for anti-infantry/anti-aircraft duty respectively. The turret sported straight-faced side panels and a flat roof. Twelve smoke grenade dischargers (six to a turret forward side) could be used to cover offensive and defensive actions as needed. The Saladin was crewed by three personnel made up of the driver, commander and gunner.

Power was supplied by a single Rolls-Royce B80 Mk.6A 8-cylinder gasoline engine delivering up to 170 horsepower. This allowed for a top speed of 72kmh with an operational range of 400km. Suspension was spread out across all six wheels. The Saladin was built for reconnaissance and policing duties and was thusly lightly armored but relatively fast on paved roads. Its inherent speed became an asset when needing to exit from a disadvantageous meeting with the enemy. However, its main gun armament was capable of knocking out most vehicles out of the main battle tank classification.

The Saladin armored car went on to see use well beyond the British Army. The relatively low cost of procuring the Saladin made it a tempting acquisition to those forces (military and otherwise) that could not afford "true" armored vehicles or had no need for such systems but instead could rely on inherent mobility and firepower of the armored car. This proved most effective in "keeping the peace" measures for many burgeoning states. Operators went on to include Australia, German Federal Police units, Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Mauritania, Oman, Portugal, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen.

The Saladin went on to see action in UN operations as well as police and military operations with several different forces during her tenure. While no longer in service with British Army units, the Saladin legacy has still endured with operational duty being recorded as recently as 2009 with Sri Lanka and Honduras military forces.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Alvis - UK
Manufacturer(s)
Australia; Germany; Honduras; Indonesia; Jordan; Kuwait; Lebanon; Maldives; Mauritania; Oman; Portugal; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Tunisia; United Kingdom; Yemen
Operators National flag of Australia National flag of modern Germany National flag of Indonesia National flag of Jordan National flag of Kuwait National flag of Lebanon National flag of Oman National flag of Portugal National flag of Sri Lanka National flag of Sudan National flag of Tunisia National flag of the United Kingdom National flag of Yemen
1958
Service Year
United Kingdom
National Origin
Active, Limited
Project Status
3
Crew
1,200
Units


ARMOR CAR / SECURITY
Design, of typically lightweight nature, providing onroad/offroad capabilities for the scouting or general security roles.
RECONNAISSANCE
Can conduct reconnaissance / scout missions to assess threat levels, enemy strength, et al - typically through lightweight design.


16.2 ft
(4.93 meters)
Length
8.3 ft
(2.54 meters)
Width
7.8 ft
(2.39 meters)
Height
25,353 lb
(11,500 kg)
Weight
12.7 tons
(Light-class)
Tonnage


1 x Rolls-Royce B80 Mk.6A 8-cylinder gasoline engine delivering 170 horsepower.
Drive System
45 mph
(72 kph)
Road Speed
249 miles
(400 km)
Road Range


1 x 76mm main gun
1 x 0.30 caliber Browning machine gun
1 x 0.30 caliber Browning anti-aircraft machine gun
12 x Smoke Grenade Dischargers
AMMUNITION
12 x Smoke Grenades


FV601 Saladin - Base Series Designation


Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge
Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War
Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars
Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War
Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War
Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft
Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War
Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War
Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War
Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1
Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2
Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles

Images



1 / 1
Image of the Alvis FV601 Saladin
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)