Combat vehicles / Reconnaissance / Fox
Fox
General Facts
- TYPE
Reconnaissance vehicle - ORIGIN
United Kingdom - NICKNAMES
FV721 (UK service) - DESIGNED
1965 - 1972 - DESIGNER
Daimler - PRODUCTION
1972 - 1979 - PRODUCERS Royal Ordnance Factory
- QUANTITY
Between 277 and 325 - UNIT COST
Unknown - CHARACTERISTICS
Very high speed
Good firepower
Amphibious
No NBC protection
Non-stabilized weapons
Introduction
The Fox is a small wheeled reconnaissance vehicle of UK origin. It was developed the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Wheeled) project to replace the Ferret and Saladin in the reconnaissance role. The Fox entered British service in 1973 and is known as the FV721 in the UK.
Layout
The Fox is a very compact reconnaissance vehicle. The crew of three consists of a commander, driver and gunner. The driver is seated in the front, the turret with its two crew members is mounted in the middle and the engine is placed at the rear.
Firepower
The Fox is armed with a 30mm L21 RARDEN autocannon. A total of 99 rounds are carried in three round clips. An L37A2 version of the MAG medium machine gun is mounted as a coaxial weapon.
Protection
The aluminum armor provides protection against small arms fire and shell splinters. No NBC protection is fitted. A four barrel smoke grenade discharger is mounted at both turret sides.
Mobility
The Fox is a very mobile vehicle with a very high road speed due to its light weight and wheeled chassis. The 4x4 drive train provides a reasonable cross country ability. A Jaguar 190hp petrol engine provides propulsion.
Users
The main user of the Fox has been the UK, but it was also exported to Africa. It was withdrawn from British service in 1994, but remains operational elsewhere.
Fox
The Fox is a small wheeled reconnaissance vehicle that is armed with a 30mm autocannon and a 7.62mm machine gun. Only a single version of the Fox has been developed. Many other variants based on the same chassis had been planned but none became operational. The Fox turret has been mated with the Scorpion chassis to create the Sabre and 13 FV432 were modified by mounting a Fox turret.
- Specifications:
- Fox
| Type | Reconnaissance vehicle |
|---|---|
| Crew | 3 (commander, driver, gunner) |
| Length | 4.17 m (hull), 5.08 m (gun forward) |
| Width | 2.13 m |
| Height | 1.98 m (turret top), 2.2 m (overall) |
| Ground clearance | 0.3 m |
| Weight | 5.7 t empty, 6.1 t combat load |
| Ground pressure | ? |
| Wheelbase | Wheeled chassis, 4x4, 11.00x20 tires, 2.46 m wheelbase, 1.75 m track |
| Turn radius | 6.1 m |
| Engine | Jaguar XK 4.2 L V6 petrol, 190 hp at 4.500 rpm |
| Power ratio | 31.0 hp/t |
|---|---|
| Transmission | 5 forward, 5 reverse |
| Speed | 104 km/h on road, 5 km/h in water |
| Fuel | 145 L |
| Range | 434 km on road |
| Wall | 0.5 m |
| Trench | 1.2 m |
| Gradient | 46% gradient |
| Fording | 1 m, amphibious with preparation |
| Armor | Aluminum |
| NBC equipment | Yes |
| Night vision | Yes |
|---|---|
| Smoke | 4x 66mm smoke grenade discharger |
| Remarks | - |
| Armament | 30m L21 RARDEN autocannon 7.62mm MAG machine gun |
| Weapon1 | 30mm L21 RARDEN autocannon 99 rounds, 3 ready to fire -14 to +40° elevation, 360° traverse, powered non-stabilized |
| Weapon2 | 7.62mm L37A2 (MAG) coaxial machine gun 2.600 rounds traverse and elevation as main armament |
| Weapon3 | - |
| Weapon4 | - |
| Weapon5 | - |
| Weapon6 | - |