GKN FV430 series - AU by dave-llamaman on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Published: Jan 24, 2021

Description

Intended as a replacement for a whole swath of tracked and wheeled armoured vehicles, including the Lloyd and Oxford carriers, the FV430 series was expanded in scope after the October War began limiting the market for American and NATO-spec armoured vehicles. In addition to the planned FV432 APC (now named "Ajax"), FV433 Abbot 105mm artillery piece and FV434 maintenance carrier for tank forces (now dubbed "Achilles"), other types were added. A mortar location radar vehicle, the FV436 Argus, was equipped with the Green Archer radar system; FV435 Aegis command post for use by the Royal Artillery was produced; as was the FV438 Active tank destroyer that was armed with Vickers Vigilant anti-tank missiles.
All these variants were based on the FV432 APC hull. Two additional variants were developed, based on the lower FV433 Abbot hull. Firstly, the FV431 Archdeacon SP artillery piece, armed with a Royal Ordnance 5.5-inch gun, was developed in place of the planned acquisition of the American M109 155mm system. Secondly, the FV437 Arrow was fitted with a 105mm L7 tank gun and employed as a tank destroyer alongside the missile-armed FV438 Active.
Originally planned to be equipped with a Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel, the simplified K60D was used in the series instead. This abandoned all pretense of using petrol grades in place of a pure two-stroke diesel cycle, adding a high-capacity mechanical Rootes supercharger for both cylinder scavenging and improving engine power output.

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You can see the rest of the stuff in this AU here: Timeline 27-10-1962

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