FV722 CVR(W) Vixen
Although the Fox armoured car, when it first appeared in 1973, was intended to replace the Ferret as a reconnaissance vehicle, it was also thought necessary to develop something that would take on the Ferret's other duties, particularly in the liaison role; that is to say, a vehicle that could be used for moving around on the battlefield to maintain contact with different units.
The result was the Vixen. It was mechanically identical to the Fox but with a deeper hull and a tiny, one-man turret equipped with a light machine-gun. Vixen could carry a crew of four and a surprising amount of stowage in its capacious body. It was also equipped with a concertina-like flotation screen, which was a feature of many British combat vehicles in those days.
A series of prototypes was built by the Royal Ordnance Factory at Leeds and subjected to various trials. Some were fitted with special stowage arrangements to suit particular branches of service, such as the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. In fact the latter carried so much equipment that a small mountain of it had to be stowed in a rack behind the turret, which did nothing to improve the vehicle's appearance.
In the event, Vixen was cancelled in 1974 and the authorities decided to use older Ferrets instead. The original unmodified Mk I variant above, seen at the Tank Museum, Bovington, is one of only two prototypes known to survive. It is painted to represent a British infantry battalion in Cyprus. - Details from the noticeboard.
FV722 CVR(W) Vixen
Although the Fox armoured car, when it first appeared in 1973, was intended to replace the Ferret as a reconnaissance vehicle, it was also thought necessary to develop something that would take on the Ferret's other duties, particularly in the liaison role; that is to say, a vehicle that could be used for moving around on the battlefield to maintain contact with different units.
The result was the Vixen. It was mechanically identical to the Fox but with a deeper hull and a tiny, one-man turret equipped with a light machine-gun. Vixen could carry a crew of four and a surprising amount of stowage in its capacious body. It was also equipped with a concertina-like flotation screen, which was a feature of many British combat vehicles in those days.
A series of prototypes was built by the Royal Ordnance Factory at Leeds and subjected to various trials. Some were fitted with special stowage arrangements to suit particular branches of service, such as the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers. In fact the latter carried so much equipment that a small mountain of it had to be stowed in a rack behind the turret, which did nothing to improve the vehicle's appearance.
In the event, Vixen was cancelled in 1974 and the authorities decided to use older Ferrets instead. The original unmodified Mk I variant above, seen at the Tank Museum, Bovington, is one of only two prototypes known to survive. It is painted to represent a British infantry battalion in Cyprus. - Details from the noticeboard.