Saxon


Sankey AT-105


Overview


Saxon

British Army Saxon on the move during an exercize in Canada in 2003.

Source: UK MOD - © Open Government License

Origin
United Kingdom
Type
Armored personnel carrier
Entered service
Late 1970's
Status
Limited service
Development
1975
Developer
United Kingdom - GKN Sankey
Production
1976 - early 1990's
Producer
United Kingdom - GKN Sankey
Unit cost
Over GBP 100.000 in 1984
Number produced
Over 700
Designations
AT-105 (manufacturer's designation)
Notable users
United Kingdom

Description


Introduction

The Saxon is an armored personnel carrier of UK origin. It started out as a private venture by Sankey in the 1970's and was named the AT-105. It is a major improvement over the previous AT-104, which was adopted by several nations. When acquired by the UK army in the early 1980's the name was changed to Saxon. It was acquired as a low cost APC to quickly ferry British troops to the European battlefield by road.

Layout

The Saxon is a much improved version of the AT-104 and is also based on a Bedford commercial 4x4 truck chassis. The engine is mounted at the front and the driver is seated on the right of the engine in an armored cab. The commander is seated behind the driver. The rear compartment seats 8 passengers.

Firepower

The Saxon is armed with a 7.62mm MAG or Bren L4 machine gun, which is either pintle mounted or mounted in a small turret. The Saxon has no firing ports for the passengers. Most Saxon in police use are unarmed.

Protection

The steel armor protects the occupants of the Saxon from small arms fire and shell splinters. A redesigned V-shaped hull provides better protection from mines than the previous AT-104, but not as much as South African mine protected vehicles. The Saxon lacks an NBC system and smoke grenade dischargers.

Mobility

The 4x4 chassis gives the Saxon a very good mobility on roads and average cross country performance. A 164hp Bedford diesel engine provides propulsion, although the latest production batches were produced with different engines.

Users

The major user of the Saxon is the UK army. Over 600 were acquired to serve as armored personnel carriers or ambulances. In UK service the Saxon is to be replaced by a more modern armored personnel carrier. The Saxon was exported to a handful of nations and was mostly adopted for police use.

Details


Facts Saxon
General
Origin
United Kingdom
Type
Armored personnel carrier
Crew
2 + 8 or 10 (driver, gunner, 8 or 10 troops)
Dimensions
Weight
9.9 t empty
11.7 t combat load
Length
5.17 m
Width
2.49 m
Height
2.63 m
2.86 m (turret top)
Main armament
Type
7.62mm MAG machine gun
Mount
One man turret or on pintle mount
Traverse
Manual traverse and elevation
Stabilizer
No
Chassis
Chassis type
Wheeled chassis, 4x4
Wheelbase
3.07 m
Tread
1.99 m
Tire size
14.00 x20
Automotive
Engine
Bedford 500 V6 diesel
Power output
164 hp at 2.800 rpm
Transmission
Allison AT-545 automatic
Gears
4 forward, 1 reverse
Fuel
153 L
Mobility
Speed
96 km/h on road
Range
480 km
Turn radius
7.6 m
Power to weight ratio
14.1 hp/t
Obstacle crossing
Ground clearance
0.29 m
Wall
0.4 m
Gradient
60 %
Fording
1.1 m
Protection
Armor type
Steel
NBC system
No
Smoke system
No
Equipment
Night vision
No