A Tour of the CVR(T) - A Family of Lightweight AFV

[@bted72]

Great history and "Tour" of an important vehicle. Thanks to Les Critchlow and Sofi for this video!

[@davidbeasley6555]

he was my troop sgt in basic training at catterick 19 86

[@andrewscott7485]

Used to carry members of 23 and 22 SAS in the back of my spartan. Its nick name was the battle taxi .

[@thewomble1509]

The Black/Red Rat is actually a Jerboa, an African rodent that was adopted as a symbol by Montgomerie's 7th armoured brigade, hence The Desert Rats.

[@GugsGunny]

Thank you Les Critchlow for the tour. Sofi you're the best for getting veterans to talk about their vehicles.

[@AdmV0rl0n]

The UK is retiring this family over time. A very modular family, served really well. We don't have replacements..

[@byronrudrow7938]

Have you got your kettle on? Probably the most common and important question a solder from that part of the world can ask! This gentleman was a joy to listen to. Well done Sofi!

[@Vince_A_Bull]

Or boiling vessel, as they call it.

[@jimscott1717]

Best review of vehicle family by someone with great experience of using the vehicle

[@brucemacallan6831]

One day, we were driving along a West German road at top speed in our Scorpion. The left track split, I watched it skidding along the road behind us briefly, then the driver (I was gunner) slammed the brakes on. This sent us in to a spin. We did a 360, and ended up in a ditch upside down. O what fun!

[@tonysansom]

Thank you for your service, Staff Sergeant Critchlow.

[@allanburt5250]

OmG that's taken me back, I loved my waggon... I think of her often 😊 thanks for sharing this mate 👍

[@CheshireTomcat68]

I love that Sofi is taken seriously as a military archivist by all the people she deals with.

[@squaddie67]

Also used by Royal Air Force Bomb Disposal teams in the Airfield EOD role, specifically the Spartan and Scimitar. Used for post-attack reconnaissance of the airfield to track and record airfield damage and unexploded ordnance , which would then be plotted and dealt with accordingly. Essentially they were used as mobile bunkers. The Scimitar was used for penetrating shotes on unexploded bombs outside of areas such as explosive storage areas and bulk fuel installations. If the resulting deflagration/detonation left a big hole then so be it, there would be Royal Engineers Airfield Damage Repair teams following the EOD teams as they worked. Target time was 4 hours from "Hostiles Clear" to getting your aircraft back in the air.

[@MrHws5mp]

That was great - nice one. There were some other developments after the initial 7 variants: Spartan-MILAN: a Spartan with a twin MILAN ATGW turret on top. Sabre: the Scorpions had to be taken out of service due to a) fume levels in the turret not meeting new H&S rules and b) provisions of the CFE Treaty. At about the same time, the 4x4 Fox armoured cars were being taken out of service. The Fox turret was very similar to the Scimitar's, with a 30mm RARDEN (smaller turret ring though), so they fitted the Fox turets to the Scorpion hulls and called it the Sabre. Scorpion 90: export version with a 90mm Cockerill (Belgian) gun in place of the 76mm. Some export sales, but they suffered with turret cracking after a while due to the recoil. Stormer: stretched version with 6 roadwheels. The basic APC could carry 8 dismounts, unlike the Spartan (4 dismounts). It wasn't bought by the British Army, but there were a few export sales. Stormer load carrier: a Stormer chassis with a flat-bed load area at the back. Some of these were bought in a hurry for GW1 in order to carry a scatterable mine system called Shielder. Starstreak: Stormer hull with 8 Starstreak SAMs on the roof. Standar British SHORADS system to this day. Recently seen action in Ukraine. Scorpion's 76mm turret was also used on the Canadian Cougar 6x6 fire support vehicle, and on an M113 hull as the Australian Medium Recce Vehicle (probably some of the inspiration for Tank Girl's tank in the original comic strips too...)

[@VitoDepho]

Also, Scimitar Mk2, with the Scimitar turret put atop a Spartan hull, for improved mine protection, plus had bar armour. Modified hybrid vehicle used by the British Army in 2010's Afghanistan. Retired, with some sent to Ukraine.

[@tadget0566]

Very rarely do they talk about the MCT (Milan compact turret) we operated 2 scimitars and 1 MCT. It was odd as we were different platoons Recce and Milan but in combat we would have operated together

[@davec5153]

I thought the second one was the Saber with the Fox turret. Although it makes sense that they would convert the Scorpions to be more like the Simitar, by adding the Fox turret.

[@ljt3084]

The same Jaguar engine is also fitted into the E type sports car. The J60 is a D rated version of the XK series engines. They sound great in this CVRt.

[@vladimirmihnev9702]

Gasoline powered - a more modern Tomy cooker!

[@randyeller8139]

Only time I had seen this vehicle before was the version of Top Gear with Clarkson Hammond and May as presenters. Love hearing the pride in his voice as he takes us around it. Great video!

[@OlSgtLove]

Interesting to hear about . Been in the field with the British Army during the Cold War days in West Germany on some Reforger's ...Good to see you on Sofi !

[@mikewinston8709]

I saw one burned out in Bosnia in 1993. It had been stolen and set on fire by youngsters. The aluminium armour had melted, it looked like a candle that had run……silver coloured candle wax.

[@DavidJones-ls6jy]

Great work Les. Good to see breaker Breaker in the back ground having a tab ....lol. Hussar

[@GUNGHO402]

Looking forward to the video. Hope all is well on your end. Missed the last museum but will be at the next. Take care sofi.

[@VitoDepho]

Brilliant video! Best walkaround of bins ever :-). Great to see more of the interior of the Swingfire/Sultan/Samson. (I did want to see more of the Spartan in the end, though, but it's all good.)

[@kodiak2fitty]

That was a great tour! Thanks for interviewing him.

[@GTLandser]

LOVE being able to see the whole vehicle family covered in one place and time!! WOW!

[@Stray03]

Interesting toys, sadly controlled goods here, there was a striker for sale recently, the one that was in the trailer park boys show. They started that T-72 talk much earlier than they were supposed to so I missed the beginning of it because I went to the Hetzer one first, had I noticed you filming I would have hid from the camera better lol (although I accidentally seem to have done a good job anyways). Thanks for the vid, I didn't manage to ask the guys many questions about them since we ended up shooting the shit about other things instead.

[@mattfulmer4243]

Very cool, but I was really looking forward to seeing Sofi's beautiful face 🙂

[@TooManyHobbiesJeremy]

Impressive video, Mr Critchlow really knew his stuff.

[@liambannister5470]

Hello! The striker was my dad's vehicle during the gulf war, very cool tank. Great video!

[@oldgoat142]

Sofi, thank you very much for this tour. This was so fascinating to watch.

[@wendyharbon7290]

There was equally the FV-180 Combat Engineer's Tractor (or C.E.T), basically an Light Armoured Amphibious Specialist Tracked Vehicle for the Royal Engineer's, which would operate with CRV"T" family of vehicles and heavy Armoured Regiments and Mechanised Infantry Battalions too.

[@timhannah4]

Frogs were crap!

[@markstevenson7884]

Glad you mentioned the BV

[@edstanislaw2273]

Outstanding work thanks

[@Real_Claudy_Focan]

The best light tank ever ! Used to be the workhorse of my former unit..

[@rogercosford]

used spartan and sultan for years in germany and first gulf. perfect for use

[@andhelm7097]

Very good.thank you for covering the cvrt series

[@michaelguerin56]

Thanks Sofi and Les. Excellent video.

[@dankingjr.2088]

Very cool commentary. Thanks as always!

[@VulcanDriver1]

Brilliant walk round. Thanks Sofi for sharing this ❤

[@kiwifruit27]

An excellent review of this series of vehicles, very interesting and informative, thanks

[@combatvet1307]

Another great and detailed video. Thanks, Sofi!

[@steveg3981]

Great tour. Excellent presentation. Thanks

[@harry9392]

Remember driving on the M6 near Carlisle I was driving a 4 ton and a scorpion passed me as if I was stoped

[@vladimirmihnev9702]

Funny thing, our driver at work has quite the same story only from inside of a T-54or55 passing a zil or kamaz on the Trakia motorway. Happen a back in the day actually during the exercise of the Warsaw pact when the USSR showed the BMD to the world, he called them "those small Russian tanks were waiting for us already dug in, when we arrived they pulled out and we took their places..." On of the less talked about times when Greece almost started WW3.

[@magna94us]

Great video! Tons of info, and Les Critchlow is an awesome presenter! Thank you!

[@bpsitrep]

Thank you both to Les and Sofi for this video. Great learning history from those who BTDT.

[@peterwicks9851]

Thank you for the excellent informative tour, I served on Saladins which I really enjoyed, but unfortunately left as the Scorpion was being introduced, would have loved to get my hands on one!

[@dahypster718suddernpride2]

ty Sofi very interesting

[@leevaughan7887]

At 9/12l the samson was crewed with 2 driver was the reccy mech and commander was either a reccy mech again or a trade it was one sammy per sqn and the foden with hq i used to drive 00gm 82 and 00 gm 83 the winch by the way was a 4.1 max pull about 25t all in

[@RobertColyer-o7y]

Same in the RAF Regiment, commander was a Corporal or Jnr Tech with a Jnr Tech driver. Joke was they sent the Chf Tech on the recovery course but he rarely went near the vehicle. Good days.

[@MrLeo2A6]

Fantastic vid Sofie, thanks for your effort

[@derfel72]

CVR-T Sabre. Scorpion chassis mounting the turret (also 30mm cannon like Scimitar) from the Fox wheeled recce vehicle.

[@whpruitt1]

Fascinating

[@SaperPl1]

Awesome showcase of the vehicle series

[@richardwarner3705]

Thank you sir.👍

[@Heatheynon]

Cheers Les. Good drills mate. 👍🏻

[@wendyharbon7290]

What about the derivative of the Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle "Tract" (CRVT) family, or the FV-108-AD Stromer SP-HVM (self-propelled high velocity missile) Air Defence Variant for the Royal Artillery, with a roof mounted and remote operated Multiple Launch Turret (MLT), with on either side twin 4 missile launch tubes. Which itself was based on the FV-108-TR Stromer Troop Reconnaissance Vehicle (TRV), which is based on the Spartan FV-103 Armoured Personnel Carrier too. There is also the Shielder "VLSMS" too, or the Velicle Launched Scatterable Mine System, based on the FV-108 Streaker High Mobility Load Carrier (HMLC). There was not just FV-101 Scorpion 76mm Light Tank, or FV-102 Striker Anti Tank Guided Missile Vehicle, or FV-104 Samartain Armoured Ambulance Vehicle, or FV-105 Sultan Armoured Command & Communication Vehicle, or FV-106 Samon Armoured Repair & Recovery Vehicle, or FV-107 Scimitar 30mm Cannon Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle, which makes up the Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle "Track" (CRVT) family.

[@eze8970]

Thanks to you & Les, very concise & informative! 🙏🙏

[@mikeruth2581]

thank you Sofi

[@wendyharbon7290]

There is equally the Sabre a hybrid of FV-101 Scorpion chassis, mounted with a Foz Armoured Car 30mm Rarden CannonTurret, plus the turret included redesigned smoke discharges and installing an L94A1 (Hughes EX-34) 7.62mm Chain Gun in place of the standard 7.62mm Medium Machinegun too. Thet were assigned to Reconnaissance Troops, of Armoured Regiments and/or Mechanicised Infantry Battalions too, around 35 or 36 of these hybrid Light Reconnaissance Vehicle were created as well! So the CRV"T" family, is much large, in fact, there was even a protype Light Tank with a 105mm Tank Gun Turret design too, Also some Scorpion Light Tanks, had their 76mm Light Tank Gun, either replaced with a 90mm Light Tank Gun, or were ordered from new with the 90mm Light Tank Gun too!

[@gusgone4527]

Nice one Les.

[@Andrew-fs7xv]

As Recon Vehicles they are still very useful but need a digital upgrade in terms of optics infra red thermal imaging and up to date weapons etc. Other than that a fast useful vehicle even today

[@YourAverageBlockater]

I FREAKING LOVE THE FV101

[@MililaniJag]

Another Great vid! Good length! Cheers!

[@Sofilein]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@leopardone2386]

Your my favorite tank content creator Sofi.

[@bigsarge2085]

Always interesting.

[@DangolWhopper]

Excellent video!

[@gregory196011]

wow great Video. thanks.

[@philb2085]

...and later the Sabre (a Scorpion with a Fox armoured car 30mm turret)? The British Army had to take the 76mm guns off Scorpions because the fumes were noxious. I think Ireland and the Spanish marines kept using them for a little while though?

[@moraesdoitajai7954]

Great perfect Sofilein :)

[@jjsmallpiece9234]

The Stormer was missed

[@boraeananaren]

The Stormer was the next gen and based on a larger chassis according to Alvis web site. So more of a cousin 🙂

[@andrewscott7485]

Shielder wasn't on here .

[@boraeananaren]

@@andrewscott7485 Shielder was based on the Stormer chassis and not part of this family of vehicles

[@dposcuro]

Saw the title. Immediate reaction? "Aww fuck yeah!" I have an irrational love of the CVR(T) family....

[@williambuchanan8607]

Spent quite a bit of my BAOR posting in one of these vehicles, happy days 😂

[@VitoDepho]

A new generation of this family of vehicles could be useful even today. Not as part of armoured forces but as all-terrain, light armoured vehicles to support light infantry. With 21st century updates like hybrid electric drive, rubber tracks, newer sensors, composite armour, remote weapon station instead of turrets, active protection system, and so on. There would also be many possible variants.

[@remy7009]

Great Vid 👍👍 Thank You…..Not Forgetting the RAF Regt Spartans 😀👍

[@Bolo2028]

Very interesting!

[@Spotteroo]

What about the Streaker ?

[@digitalsignalx]

How sturdy is the aluminum armor? Rated against small arms only? I have to wonder if a .50 or 7.62×54 would pierce

[@georgedalgleish6384]

Only good for 7.62. The bad thing about aluminium armour was it could actually catch fire.

[@marklittle8805]

Just like the M113. Aluminium armour is light and allows for speed, but small arms fire is all you can really rely on it to stop

[@1337flite]

Automotives, weapons and electrics. Or as we used to say "walk, talk and shoot". Talk being radio - i.e. electrics.

[@4CarbideGaming]

Good stuff lad.

[@phoboskittym8500]

I love command vehicles.

[@mattbutler2145]

this man LOVES his Bins

[@jaymac7203]

13:32 Do you mean it fired 4000 meters? Not kilometres? 😂

[@lescritchlow3288]

Wondered how long it would be before someone picked that up. It was done at the end of a very long hot day and I was gagging to go get a cold pint of larger. 😁

[@thecanadianchurchill4080]

I'm a volunteer at the museum

[@4002corbe]

Monsters !

[@georgedalgleish6384]

Is that Critch of 1 R.T.R.

[@paulbarthol8372]

They should have called the things ABCs: Armored Bin Carriers.😅

[@ronsandt1025]

And the Sabre

[@alanfaulkner6329]

The last time the MOD got it right.

[@timhannah4]

Forgot to mention the minimal Ground pressure, hence their success inthe Falklands 🤘

[@MrAlucard1964]

Sam it’s good to see you being successful. Have a bitchen day!

[@mightyrighty1]

the swing fire AT missile had a rang of 4000 km wow they wouldn't have to leave England to engage the enemy

[@avnrulz8587]

4,000 kilometers for the swing fire missile! 😉😂

[@jonprince3237]

Former instructor, he was just checking if you were paying attention.

[@nehrigen]

It seems they liked stowage

[@HS_Rick]

13:35 4000 KILOMETERS???? lol

[@jester5ify]

Sabre sits in the background crying...

[@rat_king-]

First gen thermal was red.... OTIS red-ding...

[@Shrimping]

Stowage.

[@frankthompson6503]

Brilliant bring back scorpions and scimitar. They are better recon light tank with armour. The landrover soft skin vehicle no armour. Although landrover can do a lot for recon sorties. It can't negotiate heavy mud like the scorpion and scimitar platform. 1000 scorpions for the protection of Britain. 1000 scimitar light recon tank also.

[@woods457]

Did he say 4,000Km's ? Maybe 4,000Mtrs...

[@tasman006]

Really good vid and its good that some of these vehicles that have come out of British service have been put to a good cause and given to Ukraine.

[@francisbeaudry8598]

be dam no lovely solfein in the vidéo ........tout meme merci bien

[@charlesmiles9115]

😛😛😛😛😛😛❤❤❤❤👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍