FV432 Armoured Personnel Carrier, Norfolk Tank Museum.
The FV432 is the Armoured Personnel Carrier variant of the British Army's FV430 Series of Armoured Fighting Vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960's, it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting Infantry on the Battlefield. In the 1980's, almost 2,500 vehicles were in use, around 500 remaining in operation, mostly in supporting arms rather than front-line infantry service.
Although the FV432 Series was originally to have been phased out of service in favour of the then-newer vehicles, such as the Warrior and the CVR(T) series, 500 have been upgraded to extend their service into the next decade. In light of the Army's need for additional Armoured Vehicles in the Afghan and Iraqi Theatres, the Ministry of Defence announced in August 2006 that an extra 70 Vehicles would be upgraded by BAE Systems in addition to the 54 already ordered as part of their Force Protection Initiative. The improvements take the form of an engine upgrade, a new steering unit and a new braking system, as well as improvement in armour protection to a level similar to that of the Warrior. In addition, plates lined with Kevlar have been added to the bottom hull. This is intended to provide better protection against improvised explosive devices. It is intended that these FV432's will free up the Warrior Vehicles for provision of reserve firepower status and/or rotation out of theatre, the updated version is called the Bulldog.
The FV432 was designed to be the Armoured Personnel Carrier in the FV430 series. Production started in 1962 by GKN Sankey and ended in 1971, after constructing approximately 3,000 vehicles. The FV432 is of all-steel construction, the chassis is a conventional tracked design with the engine at the front and the driving position to the right. Directly behind the driver's position is the Vehicle Commander's Hatch. There is a large round opening in the passenger compartment roof, which has a split/folding (concertina) hatch, and a (right hand) side-hinged door in the rear for loading and unloading. As in many designs of its era, there are no Firing Ports for the Troops carried, British Army doctrine having been for Troops to dismount from vehicles to fight, unlike Russian Infantry Fighting Vehicles that largely incorporate Firing Ports. The passenger compartment has five seats on either side which fold up to provide a flat cargo space.
An Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons (NBC) System is fitted, normal ventilation provided by a fan mounted in the forward right hand side of the vehicle, air being drawn through a paper element filter (mounted externally on the right hand side of the hull), filtered air being distributed by a duct running around the perimeter of the interior at roof level, extending into the driver's compartment. Provision is made to add carbon filters in case of gas attack, and the system can accommodate heaters and/or air conditioning units. A roof-mounted relief valve allows a constant minimal pressure to be maintained and prevent ingress of foreign matter in the event of blast or alterations in external atmospheric pressure.
Wading screens and a trim vane were fitted as standard and an extension provided to elevate the exhaust pipe. The basic vehicle, which could be readied for wading in approximately five minutes, has a water speed of about 6 km/h when converted for swimming and was propelled by its tracks. Most of these vehicles have had their amphibious capability removed.
FV432's in service with Infantry Battalions are equipped with a Pintle-Momunted L7 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) if not fitted with the Peak Engineering Turret. Vehicles with the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and Royal Signals were originally fitted with the L4A4 variant of the Bren Light Machine Gun, but they now use the GPMG. When equipped with the GPMG, the vehicle carries 1,600 rounds of belted 7.62mm ammunition, when carrying the Bren LMG, the vehicle carried 1,400 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition (50 Magazines, each holding 28 rounds) There are two Three-Barrel Smoke Dischargers at the front.
FV432 Specifications :-
▪︎Type: Armoured Personnel Carrier
▪︎Place of Origin: United Kingdom
▪︎In Service: 1963 to present
▪︎Manufacturer: GKN Sankey
▪︎Mass: 15.3 tons / Length: 17ft 3in / Width: 8ft 4in / Height: 7ft 6in
▪︎Crew: 2 + 10 Troops
▪︎Armour: 0.5in Maximum
▪︎Main Armament: 7.62mm L7 General Purpose Machine Gun
▪︎Secondary Armament: Smoke Dischargers
▪︎Engine: Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel 240hp
▪︎Power / Weight: 15.7hp / tonne
▪︎Suspension: Torsion-bar, 5 road wheels
▪︎Operational range: 360 miles
▪︎Maximum speed: 32mph.
Sources en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FV432
FV432 Armoured Personnel Carrier, Norfolk Tank Museum.
The FV432 is the Armoured Personnel Carrier variant of the British Army's FV430 Series of Armoured Fighting Vehicles. Since its introduction in the 1960's, it has been the most common variant, being used for transporting Infantry on the Battlefield. In the 1980's, almost 2,500 vehicles were in use, around 500 remaining in operation, mostly in supporting arms rather than front-line infantry service.
Although the FV432 Series was originally to have been phased out of service in favour of the then-newer vehicles, such as the Warrior and the CVR(T) series, 500 have been upgraded to extend their service into the next decade. In light of the Army's need for additional Armoured Vehicles in the Afghan and Iraqi Theatres, the Ministry of Defence announced in August 2006 that an extra 70 Vehicles would be upgraded by BAE Systems in addition to the 54 already ordered as part of their Force Protection Initiative. The improvements take the form of an engine upgrade, a new steering unit and a new braking system, as well as improvement in armour protection to a level similar to that of the Warrior. In addition, plates lined with Kevlar have been added to the bottom hull. This is intended to provide better protection against improvised explosive devices. It is intended that these FV432's will free up the Warrior Vehicles for provision of reserve firepower status and/or rotation out of theatre, the updated version is called the Bulldog.
The FV432 was designed to be the Armoured Personnel Carrier in the FV430 series. Production started in 1962 by GKN Sankey and ended in 1971, after constructing approximately 3,000 vehicles. The FV432 is of all-steel construction, the chassis is a conventional tracked design with the engine at the front and the driving position to the right. Directly behind the driver's position is the Vehicle Commander's Hatch. There is a large round opening in the passenger compartment roof, which has a split/folding (concertina) hatch, and a (right hand) side-hinged door in the rear for loading and unloading. As in many designs of its era, there are no Firing Ports for the Troops carried, British Army doctrine having been for Troops to dismount from vehicles to fight, unlike Russian Infantry Fighting Vehicles that largely incorporate Firing Ports. The passenger compartment has five seats on either side which fold up to provide a flat cargo space.
An Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons (NBC) System is fitted, normal ventilation provided by a fan mounted in the forward right hand side of the vehicle, air being drawn through a paper element filter (mounted externally on the right hand side of the hull), filtered air being distributed by a duct running around the perimeter of the interior at roof level, extending into the driver's compartment. Provision is made to add carbon filters in case of gas attack, and the system can accommodate heaters and/or air conditioning units. A roof-mounted relief valve allows a constant minimal pressure to be maintained and prevent ingress of foreign matter in the event of blast or alterations in external atmospheric pressure.
Wading screens and a trim vane were fitted as standard and an extension provided to elevate the exhaust pipe. The basic vehicle, which could be readied for wading in approximately five minutes, has a water speed of about 6 km/h when converted for swimming and was propelled by its tracks. Most of these vehicles have had their amphibious capability removed.
FV432's in service with Infantry Battalions are equipped with a Pintle-Momunted L7 General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) if not fitted with the Peak Engineering Turret. Vehicles with the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers and Royal Signals were originally fitted with the L4A4 variant of the Bren Light Machine Gun, but they now use the GPMG. When equipped with the GPMG, the vehicle carries 1,600 rounds of belted 7.62mm ammunition, when carrying the Bren LMG, the vehicle carried 1,400 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition (50 Magazines, each holding 28 rounds) There are two Three-Barrel Smoke Dischargers at the front.
FV432 Specifications :-
▪︎Type: Armoured Personnel Carrier
▪︎Place of Origin: United Kingdom
▪︎In Service: 1963 to present
▪︎Manufacturer: GKN Sankey
▪︎Mass: 15.3 tons / Length: 17ft 3in / Width: 8ft 4in / Height: 7ft 6in
▪︎Crew: 2 + 10 Troops
▪︎Armour: 0.5in Maximum
▪︎Main Armament: 7.62mm L7 General Purpose Machine Gun
▪︎Secondary Armament: Smoke Dischargers
▪︎Engine: Rolls-Royce K60 multi-fuel 240hp
▪︎Power / Weight: 15.7hp / tonne
▪︎Suspension: Torsion-bar, 5 road wheels
▪︎Operational range: 360 miles
▪︎Maximum speed: 32mph.
Sources en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FV432