Inspired by recent posts about WW2-era British armoured cars, I was wondering why we have stopped using them. Let's see, after WW2 we made the Ferret (an updated Daimler Armoured Car / Dingo) which was a very good vehicle and served for a long time with a number of armies. We also made the Saracen & Saladin rmoured car / APC family, which was good but did not serve for very long (in comparison). And then you have bvehicles like the Humber 'Pig' - used as 'Battle Taxis' and latterly as Patrol vehicles in Northern Ireland. But after the 1950s, we did not build any new Armoured cars (unless you count the Fox, an improved Ferret that was never very successful) So why?
My guess is that there is no real requirement for them any more. The traditional role of colonial policing no longer exists and for the nearest equivilents in Iraq and Afghanistan or any case of peacekeeping with potentially hostile locals they'd be virtual deathtraps and their armour would offer practically no protection against IEDs or RPGs. They could of course be up-armoured but to do so to a degree that would make any real difference would probably make the light tanks rather than armoured cars and in this instance the potential role for them can largely be fulfilled by either Warriors or Landrovers (OK, Landrovers offer no protection against fire either, but against modern infantry anti-tank weapons the armour of an armoured car would be mostly psychological value) As recon/scouts for a main force there's nothing really that they can do that can't be done better, safer or more effectively by light tanks, Landrovers, helicopters or UAVs.
I suppose the big advantage over light tanks was always size, speed and stealth - plus lower fuel consumption.
Same applies to a Landrover over an armoured car though, an armoured car would only have slight advantages in terms of survivability in a scrap.
Saracens were still used in 1991 by Kuvaiti army during the invazion by Iraq and by all accounts aquitted themselves well.
Mainly because the CVR(T) family (Scimitar etc, etc, etc) is so very successful and versitle. CVR(T) have better off road and acceptable road speed plus all of the advantages of diversification that its modular design has. The only advantage that an armoured car may have over them is speed on the road only. In fact the CVR(T)s have an extremely light footprint - it's rumoured that they can even drive straight over anti tank mines.
One Saladin, from HERE It is not impossible that Britain may get an armoured car again, as part of FRES. The FRES Recce version is supposed to be a tracked vehicle, but I wouldn't be too surprised if instead they put the Warrior's new turret on the 8x8 FRES Utility which is shortly to be selected (it would be cheaper and money is short...) After all, various other armies use 8x8 vehicles in the classic armoured car recce role. Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum
I suppose these days where you have IFV's and Humvees and land rovers the role of the AC are some what lost in its traditional role. These vehicles offer more versatility and shorten down the over all logistics chain. BUT you could still use the AC these days Base security- For air base work and the likes, as a run about security vehicle in a sensitive area. MP usage etc. Patrol- Patrolling area's where the threat is not so high, in areas where the good guys have the control. Escort- As a lead and security vehicle in convoys or escorting VIP's in 'safe' areas. Civil Disobedience- When rioters decide they don't like the make of socks that GW is wearing....if some uni students read to much Marx for the week, then it could be used to assist riot police or 'keep the peace' in this role. Recon - Intially this was its first role, but these days it would be to lightly protected, not fast enough to deal with such threats that it may encounter. I think the AC these days that are real winners are the French-Italian cars where they are essentially tanks with wheels. Maybe without the armour. So with these fast and mobile gun platforms you can do some serious tank hunting. Kym
The other option is escort - Armoured Cars offer a useful armour/gun package that can keep up with a fast road convoy. The Americans used them to escort suppkly convoys in Vietnam to good effect.
I alway thought the big advantage of AC's was compartively easy maintenance compared to tracked vehicles. Another factor might be the fact that the British Army was expecting for the past few decades to fight WW3. Tracks might well have advantages in terms of going cross country in damp and cramped Western Europe.
... or the MOD got a special discount on a bulk order of tracks. ... or it's an eco friendly move designed to reduce the British Army's contribution to the European used tyre mountain. ... or :-?
