Scorpion (CVR(T)) family (and Scorpion turret users) - Ideas and Inspiration

[ChalkLine]

I've always thought that the Scorpion turret and the Fox turret look interchangeable......

The Fox turret was smaller and it caused much complaining

[ChalkLine]

There was a Scorpion/Scimitar-style vehicle developed on the Stormer platform, called the Stormer 30. It had a low hull, a two-man turret, a 30mm chain gun and two TOWs. I don't think they sold any.

Here's some images of Stormer 30

[ChalkLine]

A simple conversion I might give a go

FV101 CVR(T) L23A1 76mm Scorpion turret with TOW double launcher.
Evidently it didn't get any sales

[ChalkLine]

More Stormer

[GTX_Admin]

What about a mine clearing version, possibly remotely driven?

[GTX_Admin]

What about an air defence version with a 40mm Bofors?

[ChalkLine]

I think the bofors is a bit on the big side, they're rated for about 10 tons from memory.

However the Blazer Basic Turret would slot in. That's the 25mm rotary cannon, two quadruple stinger pods and a seven-shot HYRDA 70 pod on top. Change over the Stingers to those 57mm rocket pods and make sure the hatches are shut when you let everything go

[GTX_Admin]

Some Scorpions were armed with a 90mm Cockerill Mk III gun so larger weapons were an option:




I was thinking of something akin to a M42 Duster with open top gun and probably just a single gun rather than twin mount.  Basically a mobile version of thew standard Bofors 40 mm Gun L/70 on field carriage:

[GTX_Admin]

[apophenia]

Those Scorpions were crowd-sourced:
-- https://thedefensepost.com/2023/03/27/ukrainians-scorpion-tanks-military/

I'm guessing that the Scorpions will join the 100+ Spartans (bought by the Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation, Petro Poroshenko Foundation, and the Ukrainian World Congress).

The Spartans are now armed with 12.7 mm Brownings or 40 mm MK19 grenade launchers. That 14.5 mm would gives the Scorpion a bit more oomph and is probably better suiting to a recce role than the original 'Pumpkin Launcher'.

[Edit]: Someone on SPF was saying that this is actually one of the 23 x Scimitar Mk IIs that the UK sent to Ukraine.
-- https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/cvr-t-projects-prototypes-variants.41639/#post-742660

If true, then it was 30 x 170 mm ammunition for the Rarden that the NGU could not get adequate supplies of (not 76.2 x 230R for the L23A1). Since 30 x 170 mm is an Oerlikon round, are we seeing yet more Swiss government restrictions on ammunition supplied to Ukraine?

[Kerick]

Good for shooting down low flying drones.

[robunos]

NOT a scimitar mk.2 . . . the mk.2 uses the spartan hull in order to increase protection against IEDs and mines, see :-

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/dfwt45/fv107-cvrt-scimitar-mk2-with-bar-armour-on-salisbury-plain-training-dfwt45.jpg


cheers,
Robin

[apophenia]

NOT a scimitar mk.2 . . . the mk.2 uses the spartan hull in order to increase protection against IEDs and mines...

Thanks for the correction, Robin. So, the original diagnosis of an FV101 Scorpion is probably correct then?

Good for shooting down low flying drones.

Since they were originally intended for anti-tank use, those 14.5 mm rounds should be effective against a BMP-2 as well - especially the side armour. Of course, the NGU had better start firing first!

[ChalkLine]

As for the 30mm RARDEN round; it's the standard NATO 30mm made in the UK, France & Belgium. It was only originally Swiss.

The various 14.5mm rounds punch well above their weight because they don't carry a fuze and thus have more projectile dedicated to the job. Even the MDZ high-brisance HE round has only the equivalent of an impact chemical fuze that takes up almost no room as it's explosive in and of itself. It makes a big hole in duralumin.

[apophenia]

As for the 30mm RARDEN round; it's the standard NATO 30mm made in the UK, France & Belgium. It was only originally Swiss...

Thanks, ChalkLine. So, we're back to 76.2 x 230R and Scorpion hulls ...

[ChalkLine]

Talking about KPVs . . .
. . . Ukrainian Scimitar regunned with a 14.5mm KPV

I note that this weapon doesn't have a forward eject for the KPV brass like normal guns do implying that this fella deposits its brass inside the turret. This would make for a smoky old turret.