FV430 Tracked Armoured Vehicle Series

FV430

TRACKED ARMOURED VEHICLE SERIES

In the late 1950s, the then GKN Fighting Vehicle Development Division was awarded a contract for the construction of four prototype and 10 trials vehicles of the FV420 unarmoured light tracked vehicle, all of which were delivered by 1958. Subsequently, GKN's FVDD was awarded the contract for the design and development of the FV432 family of APCs with the first contract covering four prototypes and 13 vehicles for troop trials. In addition, Royal Ordnance bult seven troop trials vehicles under GKN's design parentage. All of these vehicles were delivered by 1961. In 1962, GKN Sankey, now GKN Defence, was awarded a production contract for the FV432 APC and first production vehicles were completed in 1963. In addition, the company was awarded design and development contracts for the FV431 Light Tracked Load Carrier, which did not enter service, and the FV434 Armoured Fitters' Vehicle. Production continued until 1971, by which time around 3,000 FV432s had been built. The first production models were the Mk 1, followed by the Mk 1/1 and Mk 2 and finally the Mk 2/1. The all-welded steel hull of the FV432 provides complete protection against small arms fire and shell splinters. The driver sits at the front of the vehicle on the right side and has a single-piece hatch cover that opens to the left. This has an AFV No 33 Mk 1 wide-angle periscope which can be replaced for night driving by an L5A1 passive periscope. The commander sits behind the driver and has a cupola that can be traversed manually through 360°. This cupola has a single-piece hatch cover and three AFV No 32 Mk 1 periscopes. Mounted on the forward part of the commander's cupola is a 7.62 mm GPMG. The engine compartment is to the left of the driver with the air inlet (forward) and air outlet (rear) louvres in the roof and the exhaust pipe running along the left side of the hull. The complete engine with its oil tanks and filters is mounted on a common subframe which can be removed from the vehicle as a complete unit and reconnected on the ground by extended cables and fuel lines and prerun for testing. The engine compartment is fitted with a FIREWIRE detection system. The engine is coupled to the General Motors Allison Division TX-200-4A semi-automatic transmission, which was built under licence in the United Kingdom by Rolls-Royce. This in turn supplies power to the steering unit at the front of the hull via a universally jointed propeller shaft. Access to the steering system for maintenance is via a forward-opening hatch in the glacis plate, behind the trim vane. The personnel compartment is at the rear of the FV432 with 10 (five each side) passengers seated on bench seats that run down either side of the hull. The seats are hinged to the lower side plates on either side of the compartment and fold upwards, enabling the vehicle to carry up to 3,750 kg of cargo. The personnel enter and leave the vehicle via a large door in the rear of the hull which opens to the right and is provided with a vision block. Over the top of the troop compartment is a circular hatch cover that opens to the left and right of the vehicle, each part being hinged in the middle, concertina fashion. The vehicle has torsion bar suspension which consists of five dual rubber-tyred roadwheels with the drive sprocket at the front, idler at the rear and two track-return rollers. The first and last roadwheel stations have a friction shock-absorber and the upper part of the track is covered by a light sheet metal covering. The steel tracks are rubber-bushed and fitted with removable rubber pads. There is an NBC system mounted in the right side of the hull which provides fresh air via ducts to both the driver's and troop compartments. All vehicles were originally fitted with a flotation screen enabling the vehicle to cross water obstacles propelled by its tracks. Over the years these have gradually been removed from the vehicles and they no longer have an amhibious capability