Creative Midlands Heritage

Posted: 01 Oct 2012 03:31 AM PDT

Mobile and easily deployable (is that actually a word?) version of our main air (SAM- surface to air missile) defence..

general rapier overview-

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Rapier is a British surface-to-air missile developed for the British Army and Royal Air Force. Entering service in 1971, it eventually replaced all other anti-aircraft weapons in Army service; guns for low-altitude targets, and the English Electric Thunderbird, used against longer-range and higher-altitude targets. As the expected air threat moved from medium-altitude strategic missions to low-altitude strikes, the fast reaction time and high maneuverability of the Rapier made it more formidable than either of these weapons, replacing most of them by 1977. It remains the UK's primary air-defence weapon after almost 35 years of service, and its deployment is expected to continue until 2020.

Rapier (missile) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

tracked specific

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With sales to Iran came the additional requirement for a mobile version of Rapier. BAC responded by adapting the Rapier system to fit on the M548, a cargo-carrier version of the ubiquitous M113 armored personnel carrier. Development started in 1974 as "Tracked Rapier", but had not yet been delivered when the Shah fell from power in 1978. The vehicles were later purchased by the British Army. The first public showing of Ttracked Rapier was at the 1983 Royal Tournament at Earls Court, (that years theme was, conveniently, artillery through the ages). The first Tracked Rapiers entered service with 11 (Sphinx) Air Defence Battery, of 22 Air Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery in 1983 in Napier Barracks near Dortmund.

Rapier (missile) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hagglund BV206

Posted: 01 Oct 2012 03:18 AM PDT

I want one of these!

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Bandvagn 206 (Bv 206) is a tracked articulated, all-terrain carrier developed by Hägglunds (now part of BAE Systems Global Combat Systems) for the Swedish Army. It consists of two units, with all four tracks powered. It can carry up to 17 people (6 in the front compartment, 11 in the rear), and the trailer unit can be adapted for different applications (see Variants section).

Development of the Bv 206 all-terrain articulated tracked carrier began in 1974. Three batches of trial vehicles were delivered between 1976 and 1978 and the first production examples were delivered to the Swedish Defense Administration in 1980.

Like its predecessor, the Volvo Bv 202, the Bv 206 is designed to carry troops and equipment through snow and bog-lands in northern Sweden. The low ground pressure enables the Bv 206 to cope with a wide range of difficult conditions. It is also fully amphibious, with a speed in water of up to 4.7 km/h. Over 11,000 have been produced and they are used in more than 37 countries worldwide.

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Specifications (original version)

Engine: 2.8L 99 kW Ford Cologne V6.
Gearbox: MB W 4A-018 automatic transmission
Weight: 4,500 kilograms (9,900 lb)
Cargo load: 2240 kg (630 kg in front unit and 1610 kg in trailer unit)
Length: 6.9 metres (23 ft)
Width: 1.87 metres (6.1 ft)
Height: 2.4 metres (7.9 ft)

Bandvagn 206 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia